Sum of the Parts
by Atropos' Knife
Summary: The Retrievers scratch and claw at each other in a race to get back targets scattered all over Tokyo. Simple. But big surprises are thrown into the mix and Ban finds out the hard way why he should never deny Ginji a decent meal. COMPLETE
1. Wrong Side of the Car Seat

**"Sum of the Parts"**

**Disclaimer : **Don't own, so don't sue. Wish I did, though. You can't imagine what twisted things I'd have these characters do. Hee!

**A.N. : **My first attempt at fan-fiction, so please be nice. Of course, the usual reviews and con crits will be highly appreciated and dare I say, expected? Part-character study, part-fluff and part-action, the story takes a while to develop – but I promise, it all leads somewhere (somehow). Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I am writing it.

**_Chapter 1 : Wrong Side of the Car Seat_**

Paul furrowed his brow and abruptly glanced up from the newspaper he was buried in. Straining his ears in the direction of the bathroom, Paul could swear he heard Ban warble a few bars of some candy-coated J-pop ditty. _Heh._ Paul chuckled. _Busted._

He continued to listen intently as the rumble of water passed through the Honky Tonk's rusty pipes followed by the soft patter of the shower hitting the bathtub porcelain. Paul wondered how on earth he got suckered into letting those two boys park their toiletries, industrial-strength hair products – and in Ginji's case, a rubber ducky – inside his tiny bathroom when he himself had been hard pressed in the past to invite girlfriends to stay for breakfast, let alone leave a toothbrush.

For the GetBackers, the Honky Tonk was the closest thing they had to having a home, with the Ladybug serving as some sort of mobile bedroom. Paul taxed his logic trying to figure out what positive returns he was getting from Ban and Ginji's freeloading. So far, nada. What he got was a tab worth half a mil, a twenty-five percent increase in operating expenses, short-circuited appliances, a cluttered bathroom, and distorted reliefs on the wall in the shape of _chibi_-Ginji (courtesy of Ban using Ginji as a wrecking ball during his frequent fits of frustration at the blond's imbecility).

However, Ban and Ginji and their perilous adventures did make Paul feel nostalgic for that kind of life he, too, used to live. He couldn't deny those two knuckleheads amused him a great deal.

Amusement. _Yes, that must be it._ Paul sighed. That was as good a reason as any – for now.

While Paul nonchalantly sidled nearer to the bathroom to hear Ban sing some more, the tall, strapping man sitting alone in his usual booth next to the window had his keen bestial ears perked from the start.

Fuyuki Shido heard everything that echoed from the bathroom, from the rustle of carelessly flung-off clothes to the gentle clink of sunglasses sliding into the sink. And just as Ban hit a sour note while shampooing his hair (Shido could even smell its distinct anise scent. It was the same expensive brand that Madoka used. _Vain snake bastard_.), Shido rolled his eyes in disbelief at how far-reaching Ban's assault on his senses was.

By now, Shido was getting used to working with the _hebi-yarou_ on big, coordinated retrieval missions. And although he would never tolerate Ban's loud mouth and insufferable arrogance, Shido grudgingly admitted that they usually got the job done and that they'd also saved each other's ass at some time or another.

So, if that meant trading barbs and fists with that sea-urchin head, well, he was willing to live with that. After all, he had Madoka, his animals – and Ginji – to think of.

Besides, Shido realized, both of them were kindred beastly spirits, understanding each other better than they'd like to admit. And underneath that thick reptilian veneer, Ban wasn't as cold-blooded as he endeavored to be.

Shido stared wistfully at the swirls in his coffee, took a sip, and smiled slightly at the irony.

"Monkey Trainer! You sonofabitch!"

Paul scampered back behind the bar and Shido growled.

Mido Ban was doing a second lather, rinse, and repeat cycle o his hair when from out of the corner of his eye he noticed a sparrow land on the sill of the tiny bathroom window. Paying no heed to it, Ban continued to languorously wash his hair, grateful he need not shower underneath a public fountain today and risk getting arrested for indecent exposure.

Besides, he thought, he had earned a hot bath after pulling an all-nighter and saving himself a few thousand yen by fixing the Ladybug's leaky transmission all by his lonesome.

Ginji played his part, of course, by charging the car battery and powering the halogen lamp while Ban tinkered and Ginji "Ban-_chaaan-ed_" endlessly throughout the night. Sure, the activity drained Ginji out, but the dimwit had to learn how to appreciate the value of cutting a few corners. In Mugenjou, Raitei's power was used as hard currency. In the real world, Ginji would hardly survive if he didn't at least use some of his gifts for more practical purposes.

_Like fixing my car. Our car, _Ban pouted. He picked up the shampoo bottle and gave it a few shakes. Damn. If he could only make his shampoo stretch out a little longer. Ban knew if was highly uncharacteristic of him to be spending an inhumane sum of money on a measly bottle of pricey shampoo when he could barely feed himself, but it was the only thing that got the gunk out of his hair. And if Ban could be vain about just one thing, it was his trademark spikes.

The GetBackers were nothing if not very easy on the eyes. While Ginji could naturally charm even the stoniest of clients with his bubbly demeanor and sweet, open boyish face, Ban always made a maddeningly abrasive first impression the moment he opened his mouth. So it satisfied him to no end that not a few times Ban could rely solely on his rakish good looks and one sultry gaze of his striking electric-blue eyes to pull him through the first pitch.

Pleased as a peach at himself, Ban stepped under the pulsating cascade of the shower and closed his eyes contentedly. After a few minutes, he opened them and, to his annoyance, realized the sparrow was still perched on the window sill. But this time, it was hopping back and forth and puffing out its wings. Ban watched this go on for a while when suddenly, the bird made a half-turn and chirped towards his direction – mockingly, it seemed.

Ban took a moment to let this sink in. In a flash, his eyes narrowed and he instinctively grabbed a towel to cover himself. With a quick flick of his wrist, he picked up a wet washcloth and hurled it at the sparrow, who screeched and flew off in a flurry of feathers.

'Monkey trainer! You sonofabitch!"

The door of the bathroom swung open and out stormed Ban, dripping wet and with a skimpy towel wrapped around his waist. Making a beeline for Shido, he was appalled to discover the sparrow outside the window, flapping wildly and chirping animatedly while Shido nodded sympathetically. _The nerve…_

Meanwhile, a beleaguered Paul traced the wet trail down the corridor from the bathroom and into the dining hall, pushing a mop in front of him. Abjectly, he mentally calculated how much damage Ban would cost him this time.

As Ban strode over to the booth, the bird stopped flapping and violently tapped its beak on the window pane. Then with a shrill cry, it flew off.

Shido leaned back into the booth and took a sip of his coffee. As usual, he wouldn't be baited into initiating the shouting match that was to come.

Without meeting Ban's infuriated stare, Shido coolly warned, "You better watch yourself when you go outside. They're threatening to drop all sorts of nasty things on your thick skull."

Of course, Ban exploded first. He landed his fist on the wood table, rattling the dishes and sending the utensils flying.

"What did that bird tell you, huh, monkey face?"

"Heh! You paranoid moron! That sparrow was merely performing a mating ritual for a female in a nearby tree. It was minding its own business when you sent a flying washcloth its way!" Shido's deep voice boomed as he crashed his coffee cup into its saucer, cracking it.

_Oh crap. _Paul froze in mid-mop. _Now, even Shido is racking up a tab. Wonderful._

"Excuses, excuses." Ban grunted. "Admit it. You sent that chicken to spy on me."

"Idiot! Why would I want to do that?" Their eyes locked in a heated gaze. "It's not as if I want to see or know more of you than I already do, dammit!"

Ban's eyes shifted and looked down at Shido superciliously. "You tell me. A lot of people have attempted to blackmail me before with stuff they think they know about me. Why should you be different?"

It took a few seconds for Shido to process Ban's ridiculous accusation, finally letting out a big guffaw.

"You think blackmail is funny?" Ban leaned forward and shook a fist at Shido's face.

"No, but you are," he smiled. "Blackmail? Blackmail you with what? Your singing? I don't need my animal friends to tell me your singing sucks. We all heard you." Shido glanced at Paul. "Right?"

Bewilderment spread quickly across Ban's face. With a jerk of his head, he shot a glare back at Paul. Feigning ignorance, he dropped the mop and put his hands in the air, struggling to contain a chuckle from escaping his lips.

"_Tch!_" Ban shrugged and moved to lean on the bar. He lit a cigarette, took a long drag and blew the smoke up to the ceiling.

"Okay, wise-guy. If your ears are that sharp, tell me what exactly I was singing."

"Hell if I know, you poser." Shido propped an elbow on the table and cradled his chin on his hand. "I was surprised a snob like you was even capable of listening to anything other than concertos."

"_Who-ahh_!" Ban clapped his hands derisively. "Bravo, monkey trainer! I'm surprised a backwoods hick like you even knew the meaning of 'concerto'. I'm impressed. Madoka has trained you well."

_"Nani!"_

Shido was about ready to claw at the smug jerk when he was interrupted by the soft creak of the Honky Tonk's door opening followed by the melodious tinkling of cat-bells.

_"Konnichiwa!"_ Fuchoin Kazuki greeted warmly. He entered as if the mild summer zephyr that followed him in had floated Kazuki into the threshold, whipping the queues of his long chestnut hair away from his willowy frame like silk ribbons dancing around a maypole.

Kazuki closed the door behind him, prematurely ending that breezy vision. "Nice weather we're having today, _hai_?" he said to no one in particular, walking down towards the far corner of the bar. Turning towards his fellow retrieval agents, he inquired, "Hevn-san? She not here… ugh."

Kazuki choked on his last word. To his right sat a visibly peeved Shido who held his cup in a vice-like grip. And next to him leaning jauntily with both elbows on the counter, a cigarette dangling precariously from his lips, stood Ban - wet, practically naked and his hair free of those ridiculous porcupine spikes.

Kazuki was stunned to realize his heart skipped a beat.

It seemed like an agonizing eternity as his dark brown eyes unwillingly scanned the figure from head to toe, finally engaging them on Ban's hand as it pushed up his glasses and tucked the towel tighter around his waist.

"_Oi._ Thread-spool," Ban lazily acknowledged Kazuki's presence. "This is the third time this month you and monkey boy have horned-in on our jobs. What? No juicy gossip to sell to the rags lately?"

"Take it up with Hevn. She asked us to be here." Kazuki slid into the booth opposite Shido. To regain his composure, he met Ban's accusing look head on. Except, from his vantage point, Kazuki's eyes unintentionally strayed from Ban's indifferent face and lingered a tad too long on his torso.

_Damn!_ He cringed inwardly, concern belied by his serene features. Ban had an innate gift for reading a person's every move, and Kazuki wasn't immune. He wanted to slap himself. Never had he ogled Toshiki, or even Jubei, in such a manner. At least not like that brief leering moment he just sent Ban's way. _Of all people, why that cocky, obnoxious, lecherous buffoon? And yet…_

_Snap out of it!_ Kazuki thought deliriously. Despite not moving an inch, the bells in his hair quivered.

Too late. Ban wasted no time in picking up his discomfort. "Hey. What have you been staring at anyway?" If I didn't know better, I'd think you actually want a piece of me." Wickedly grinning, Ban punctuated his taunt by blowing a cloud of smoke in Kazuki's direction.

_No point in being diplomatic with a snake,_ he sighed. "Oh please. If I wanted a piece of anyone it certainly won't be you. Now, Shido? From what I heard… maybe."

Kazuki smiled sweetly, a gold fire lit within his deep eyes. Meanwhile, Shido blushed profusely, embarrassed he'd been used as a punch-line but not quite yet grasping the meaning behind it.

Momentarily dumbfounded, Ban's pupils narrowed into vertical black slits radiated by a corona of brilliant blue. "Very funny string-bean. Be thankful your brand of humour would've sailed way above Jubei's clueless head." Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Ban snuffed out his cig and started walking back down the corridor towards the backroom.

"Natsumi! Are my clothes dry yet?"

Mizuki Natsumi popped her pretty head out of the storeroom. "_Hai_, Ban-_san_, I just got them out of the dryer. I'll have them ironed and ready for you in a while."

Ban nodded and grunted his acknowledgement. Natsumi knew that was all the thanks she was going to get from the moody GetBacker. Which was perfectly fine with her since Ginji more than made up for Ban's share with his sincere, exuberant and sometimes over-zealous appreciation for her good-will.

Natsumi closed the storeroom door behind her and smiled wistfully, inhaling the crisp scent of Ginji's freshly-laundered white shirt which she clutched in her hands.

Ban turned to head back into the bathroom to fix his hair. _Ginji, you stupid blabbermouth! Did you have to tell everyone what we saw at Madoka's hot spring?_ Well, at least that was the only thing Shido had one up on him. That, and the fact he had a nice roof over his head, a semblance of a love-life, and probably even a bank account.

"Shit." Ban rolled his eyes in frustration. Making a mental note to drop-kick Ginji into the Honky Tonk ceiling later, he slammed the bathroom door shut.

Shido's eyes went wide with a sudden realization.

"_Anou,_ Kazuki…" His eyes looked down into his lap. "You didn't mean… You were talking about…"

Kazuki raised his coffee cup at Shido with a knowing smile. "Shut him up good, didn't it?"

Shido grimaced and hit his forehead with his palm.

"_Ohayo!_" Amano Ginji called out cheerfully. His entrance had permeated the air with a pleasant, prickly charge that was his unmistakable herald.

"Ginji-_san_" Kazuki greeted brightly. Shido waved.

"What's for breakfast?" Ginji sat at the bar and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"Sorry, but I've got bills due this week," Paul's voice came from behind the newspaper. "So, unless you two are going to pay at least a quarter of your tab today, coffee's all you're getting."

"Not even one sunny-side-up egg?" he implored, big, liquid brown eyes pleading hopefully. Silence. Ginji gave out a small whimper. "Make it black then."

As Paul poured the coffee, Kazuki stared forlornly at his former Emperor. He felt guilty at having to draw the line of his loyalty at a plate of breakfast. Normally, he could be counted on to share a sandwich with Ginji when need be, but there was a reason why both he and Shido were at the Honky Tonk today. And it wasn't for the coffee.

Shido's thoughts mirrored those of Kazuki. The Four Kings and the Volts had pretty much accepted the fact that Ginji was better off with Ban and out of Mugenjou. _But geez, must that snake's rotten luck with money rub off on everyone?_

"Are you sure you're okay, Ginji?" Shido asked gently.

"Ah. Hehe… I'm fine. Just a little hungry, as usual."

It was the truth. It had been more than 24-hours since Ginji had anything substantial to eat. Ordinarily, he could make do with little food in three days. But charging the Ladybug's car battery and powering up a halogen lamp a couple of hours straight took a lot more out of him than he thought. He hoped Hevn's new assignment for them wouldn't require the use of his electricity. Knowing Hevn, though, Ginji doubted it.

For good measure, he tore open a couple of sugar packets and dumped them into his coffee. He also hid a handful in his pockets while Paul wasn't looking.

Shido noticed this and shook his head.

"Ginji. If you want, you and Mido – " he almost gagged at the mention of the rascal's name. " – can join me for lunch at Madoka's later. I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

Ginji jumped off the stool and glomped onto Shido's arm. "Wow! _Arigato,_ Shido! That's so nice of you – " He suddenly hesitated and sheepishly scratched his tousled blond head. "Um… Madoka. She's not doing the cooking, is she?"

"Huh? Uh, no. Of course not. Not anymore," Shido laughed. Kazuki chuckled, his long, graceful fingers lightly - and innocently - grazing Shido's hand in appreciation of his gesture. He nodded in return. Both were in unspoken agreement that whatever made the former Thunder Emperor smile was always worth it.

"That's good. Wait, let me tell Ban-_chan_." Ginji bounded off happily to the bathroom, knowing exactly where his partner was without question. He knocked frantically on the door.

"Ban-_chan_! Ban-_chaaan_!"

"Go away! Wait your turn!" came the garbled reply.

"But Ban-_chan_, Shido just invited us over for lunch."

The door immediately swung open. Ban had been brushing his teeth. "Is this some kind of joke?" He demanded, sputtering toothpaste suds all over Ginji's face.

"Uh-uh."

Ban barged out to confront Shido. Meanwhile, Ginji took advantage of the departure and locked himself inside the bathroom.

"Wha- Hey! Ginji!" Ban turned and banged on the door. Realizing the futility of this, he marched back towards the Beast Master and pointed his toothbrush at him.

"What prank are you trying to pull now, huh?"

"You ungrateful fool! Are you calling me a liar?"

"If the shoe fits…"

Kazuki resignedly threw his arms between the battling beastie boys.

As always, it took the opening of the Honky Tonk's door to interrupt the argument. And boy, was it interrupted.

Emishi Haruki came in first. He staggered through the door as if in a trance, a huge, silly grin plastered on his face. Seeing the first bar stool in front of him, Emishi collapsed on it, practically panting and muttering incoherently.

"Joker!" Ban yelled. "What the hell –"

A female voice sing-songed. "Hello! Sorry I'm late. Everyone's here I hope?"

Five sets of gaping eyes lay transfixed on the voluptuous figure that stood in the doorway. Even the bright mid-morning sun that filtered through the entrance did nothing to blind them from the sight.

Hevn's every appearance at the Honky Tonk was somewhat treated like a mini-strip show – all with kinky anticipation and jacked-up testosterone levels from the boys (Kazuki's calm front was a little harder to read, though) – and disdain from Himiko. They always marveled at the miraculous contraptions that barely restrained Hevn's bosom from completely taking lives of their own.

Her latest feat of fashion engineering defied explanation. It being summer, she wore pink hot pants and diaphanous white chiffon cowl-necked halter thingy that was tied around the waist with a slip of ribbon. She finished the airy look by plaiting her long golden hair in a thick braid down her bare back.

As Hevn walked down towards the front counter, the guys noted every bounce and sway, chancing the odds that something – anything – would pop out. To their dismay, the wisp of fabric seemed determined to cling on.

Hevn stopped suddenly in her tracks on seeing Ban. Her eyes fixed first on his foamy mouth and then slid down to the towel around his waist. She pushed her sunglasses up on her head and placed a hand on her hip.

"Ban-_kun_! Down boy! I didn't expect you to be _this_ happy to see me," she laughed hysterically.


	2. Lunch, I Hardly Knew Ye

**_Chapter 2 : Lunch, I Hardly Knew Ye_**

Several minutes later, when everyone was settled in, Ginji had finished his shower and Ban was finally decent; they gathered around Hevn for the low-down.

Hevn unzipped her tote bag and took out an 8 x 10 glossy. Laying it on the table, she said nothing and let the team study it for a while.

"Ugh. A teenage girl?" Ginji frowned.

The photo was a full-body shot of a stunning, full-figured young woman with long copper-coloured hair wearing a one-piece bathing suit. What the guys found bothersome about the picture was that it was seemingly taken in a cold, gray non-descript room and that the girl's posture was rigid, her face expressionless and her hazel eyes vacuous – as if no soul had ever occupied them.

"Is this… Is she involved in a white slavery ring?" Kazuki's usual calm tone turned harsh. "_Yakuza?_"

"Not another kidnapping case?" Ban groaned sarcastically. "Why do you keep referring us to matters the police won't touch? We might as well demand a retainer."

"B-Ban-_chan_…" Ginji protested quietly, tugging at his partner's sleeve.

Hevn shook a finger at her most stubborn retrieval agent. "Tsk. Tsk. Is that any way to treat your meal ticket?" Ban sneered. She pushed the photo across the table and winked. "Look closer."

Ban adjusted his glasses down his nose and leaned his face closer to the picture. He deliberately scanned the details, sapphire eyes taking on a burnished hue as his sharp mind tried to lock onto points of familiarity – or the absence of them. After a few seconds, Ban sat back into the booth and flashed a satisfied smile.

"I see… It's a 'Stepford Wife'." He slid the glossy back at Hevn. "Or rather, "Stepford _Girlfriend_'."

Kazuki was slightly taken aback. "You mean…"

Ban nodded. "Yeah. It… She's an android. A robot."

The rest of the gang gave out a collective surprised murmur. Kazuki took the photo from the table to examine it himself. After a minute of careful scrutiny, he, too, came to the same conclusion. Laying it on the table, he told Ginji, Shido, and Emishi to inspect it closer.

Pointing at the girl's shoulder, Kazuki explained, "It's not very apparent at first glance, but if you notice, there's a distinct line of indentation in the skin where the arm is attached to the torso. Unless a real person were severely emaciated – which she's not – the ball and socket of the arm and shoulder joints should be concealed by a layer of thick muscle."

Kazuki's finger shifted to the leg area. "And over here, there isn't a fold of skin – "

" – where the knee-caps should be. She has no knees," Shido cut in.

Emishi tried to break the tedious anatomy discussion. "And you don't have any eyebrows, Shido. Does that mean you're a robot, too? Owww!" Shido answered him with a hard smack to the back of the head.

"But she… she looks so life-like." Ginji held the photo in his hands, the static of his touch making it feel as though it were melting into his skin. He then added thoughtfully. "But you're right. She can't be real. No one who's truly alive should have eyes that look so – dead."

Ban hiked up his glasses and threw a stealthy sideways glance at his best friend. Whereas the others picked out visible material details on the girl, only he and Ginji saw the emptiness behind the near-perfect shell. It was the kind of heavy void they discovered in each other when they first met. However, despite their years of friendship and shared instincts, those were feelings neither would easily forget.

As if by cue, Ginji volleyed a sideward look of his own, followed by an exchange of assuring smiles. They both knew they didn't have to feel that way ever again.

###

Hevn clapped her hands proudly. "I knew you guys wouldn't be fooled."

"But that android isn't what we're here for, is it?" Ban said pointedly while lighting a cigarette. "It's certainly not a job for five retrievers."

"Indeed not," she agreed. "The android in the photo is merely an assembled prototype. As a whole unit, she's not capable of doing much yet. But the parts - arms, legs – that's where the real value is."

"In this case, the sum of its parts is greater than the whole," Kazuki intimated.

"Exactly, Kazuki-_san_," Hevn exclaimed as she took out of her bag more photos of robotic limbs, torsos, heads, and other components and arranged them on the table.

"Reportedly, the arms and legs are made of electrically activated plastic muscles with receptors that mimic those of real nerves. Imagine how that would revolutionize the prosthetics industry and change the lives of millions of amputees."

"So what happened to these parts?" Emishi asked, closely checking out a photo of a naked female torso.

"Stolen," she replied without an ounce of surprise. "Our client owns a privately-funded robotics research lab. He's in the process of transferring his base of operations to Switzerland. He was shipping out the parts late last night when the van they were being transported in was intercepted before reaching the airport."

Ban tapped his fingers on the table. "Does the client know who may have been behind it?"

Hevn shook her head. "No clue, unfortunately, other than this was the work of professionals. Officially, the police are on the hijacking case. Unofficially? We're against the clock here. It's likely the target has already left the hijackers and are now with the middle-men - or worse – the transporters. At this pace, the parts could be smuggled out of the country as early as midnight."

Ginji balled up his fists. He hoped Akabane would not be involved in this.

"Anyway, I've assured the client that you are the only guys for the job. My contacts at customs and the port authority have detected no unusual movements or suspicious packages, so chances are, the goods are still within city limits."

Hevn began gathering up the photos. "There are six pairs each of arms and legs, five torsos, two heads, and an assortment of chips, processors and disks. Since we don't know which gang or group has which parts, you'll have to do the legwork yourselves. So use your sources, track down the corporate gophers and henchmen, shakedown the small-timers… I don't care. Do what you have to do. The client is leaving for Switzerland tomorrow, so you have twenty-four hours to retrieve everything."

"_Ahem_…" Ban cleared his throat loudly, breaking the fleeting silence that followed Hevn's instructions.

"Oh, for goodness sake, keep your pants on! I was just coming to that!" Hevn screeched, amber eyes glowering from across the table. She took an envelope from her tote and waved it in Ban's face. " A 600,000 yen deposit for each of you and a fee to be determined by what and how many robotic parts you recover."

Ban lightly wrestled Hevn's waving hand onto the table. His eyes sparkled. "Eh? So how much is each part worth?"

"What am I? Stupid? Of course I'm not going to tell you! Otherwise, you'd all go for the most valuable item." She slapped Ban's hand with the envelope.

Let's just say that if you retrieve all of the targets, you can expect to share an estimated 15 million yen among yourselves. Besides, don't you think this arrangement makes the assignment more… hmm… _interesting_?"

The boys all looked at each other warily, sly smiles beginning to form at the corners of their mouths.

"So," Shido finally piped up. "It's a race then." His steel-gray eyes aimed at Ban.

"Heh. Looks like we'll get to finally finish what we started at the hospital – " Ban rose from his seat to face his rival. He then pointed a finger at Emishi. " – as long as Joker here doesn't butt in."

"Wah!" Emishi wailed, waving his hands in surrender. "Had nothing to do with it then, have nothing to do with it now. I'm innocent!" He could still feel the clobbering he got from both the monkey and snake when he unwittingly returned the bag of love letters to those desperate nurses at the hospital. Emishi shuddered at the thought.

" – And our deal. It's still on?" Shido menacingly moved towards Ban, unintentionally squishing Ginji between them.

" – Where the loser quits being a _dakkanya_? You're damn right it is!" he countered, poking a finger at the Beast Master's chest.

To Ginji's relief, Ban sat back down. Then he smirked. "But I'm telling you now, monkey-trainer, you better ask Madoka to marry you soon, because tomorrow, you're joining the ranks of the unemployed."

_"MIDO!"_ Shido had had enough. He jumped Ban, who caught him and they both landed on the table, pulling each other's spiky hair. Ginji turned _chibi_ and managed to hide under the table – along with Emishi.

"Ban-_chaaan_! Shido-_nii_!" _chibi_-Ginji whined.

"Stop it! That's enough!" Hevn shrieked so loud the bells in Kazuki's hair vibrated wildly.

Ban lay prone on the bench while Shido was belly-flopped on the table, head-band pulled over his eyes. Everyone remained frozen for a few seconds. And just like that, the two released their choke-holds on each other, sat down and began a staring contest.

Ginji and Emishi meekly poked their heads from beneath the table.

"You guys are impossible." Hevn sighed hopelessly. "From now on, everyone plays nice, okay? O-_kaaay_?" A chorus of snorts and grumbles. "Good. Be here tomorrow, same time with your catch." She began walking out, but then turned on her heels.

"Oh, I almost forgot. The client has only one condition for you. Since the components are considered highly sensitive, under no circumstances are you to open any of the packages." Hevn took out five small ID scanners and placed them on the counter.

"Everything is digitally coded with a sensitive control number so use these scanners to identify the correct items. Remember, _no opening_." She waved as she walked out the door.

"_Jâ ne_!"

Kazuki took one scanner and tossed the rest to the other four. "If I may suggest, why don't we divide up the work and decide which targets we're each going to go after. That way, we don't accidentally aim for the same things and waste time."

"What, and spoil the fun?" Ban replied haughtily, blowing smoke rings at an incensed Shido. "It's not our fault the GetBackers have an almost one-hundred percent success rate. No way are we going to spoon-feed you pretenders with a guaranteed haul. I say, 'finders, keepers'."

Everyone threw Ban an icy stare – even Ginji pouted.

With a deep sigh, Kazuki jumped off the bar stool, left some change on the counter and proceeded towards the door. " Fine, then. Well, I better get going. Good-luck everyone!" With a smile and a final swish of his long hair, Kazuki was gone.

Emishi and Shido stood up as well. Shido put both palms on the table and hovered over an unruffled Ban. "I don't care what you're going after. Just stay out of my way," he warned.

"Don't worry. We'll be out of your way all right…" Ban puffed on his cigarette, then waved it playfully. " - about an hour before you get there."

"_Baka-yarou!"_

"Hey, at least you can use the spare time to shop around for an engagement ring, _ne_?"

"_Tch!_" Shido sneered through clenched jaws. He straightened up and cracked his knuckles. "I'll deal with you later." With that, he stomped out of the café.

Emishi watched his friend storm out without him and then turned to the GetBackers. "I don't know about you, but I've got first dibs on Mugenjou. I'm pretty sure some of those parts will be headed up Babylon City."

"Hehe… No problem. Ban says we won't be going back to Infinity City anytime soon. Not even for a million bucks," Ginji bubbled brightly.

"Shut Up! Don't tell him that!" Ban hissed, twisting Ginji's ear.

"Ow! Ow! But you said…"

"Great!" Emishi grinned and gave them a wink. He shoved his hands in his pockets and strolled out. "I'll catch you later, then. Happy hunting!"

Paul, Natsumi and Ginji all watched a whistling Emishi leave. They then looked at Ban, whose head was propped up on his hand, distractedly spinning the scanner on the table and no doubt concocting some far-fetched Goldbergian scheme in his freak mind.

Paul jerked a thumb in the direction of the clock. "Not unless you plan on digging up robot parts under the floorboards, you two better get a move on…" Damn straight he had a stake in this - 500,000 yen worth.

"Yeah. Yeah," Ban muttered impatiently. "I think I'll start by borrowing your laptop. Paul?" Paul rolled his eyes and made his way to the basement.

Suddenly Ginji gasped and his expression went crestfallen.

"Gin-_chan_!" Natsumi exclaimed, alarm crossing her face. "What's wrong?"

Ginji's seal-pup eyes filled with tears. "I just realized… Does this mean lunch at Madoka's is out?"


	3. Plan B and half a C

**"Sum of the Parts"**

**Disclaimer :** Don't own the characters or anything yadda, yadda. Just borrowing Rando Ayamine and Yuya Aoki's since I'm too darn lazy to create characters as interesting as these guys.

**A.N. :** Big thanks to everyone reading. Hope this chapter passes muster with you guys. Please keep those reviews coming because I really do love to hear from you!

* * *

**Chapter 3 : Plan B (and half a "C")**

The job was beginning to give Ban a splitting headache.

He sat at the counter with elbows propped, fingers pressing hard into his temples. A piece of paper lay before him, scribbled with details and riddled with arrows, underlines and question marks.

The case looked simple enough - a textbook hijacking of goods while in transit and the goal, to recover as many of the missing items as possible. But Ban had many questions and the client gave little information. Initially, he didn't know where to start. But then he remembered the photos. Arms, legs, heads, torsos, circuits and connectors; pared down to the titanium skeleton or covered in life-like, revolutionary platinum-cured silicone.

_More than a dozen highly valuable robotic parts in one haul, and the client seems sure they've been scattered and divided so soon? Why else would he need five retrieval experts?_ Ban wondered, stubbing out another cigarette in the nearly overflowing ashtray.

Being a former thief himself, he would have taken the whole kit and caboodle.

But Ban pushed the suspicion out of his mind, realizing there was nothing strange about the grab-and-divide tactics used. The parts could've easily been pre-auctioned among the interested buyers.

And insurance fraud was out, too. Obviously, collecting on a stolen items claim was highly dependent on said goods remaining... stolen.

Ban hit his forehead repeatedly with the heel of his hand. "Focus... Focus..."

Still, even though he decided this was a legit operation, a nagging uncertainty prevailed in the back of his mind.

Not that that ever stopped the Get Backers before. Ban doodled a stick figure on the paper. He absent-mindedly cut a line between the figure's head and body and stared at it for a while. Suddenly, the picture of the female android prototype Hevn showed them sparked an observation.

Hevn said the prototype wasn't capable of doing much yet, but that didn't mean it couldn't do _something_. To Ban, that meant the android had artificial intelligence. And if its components were interfaced for coordinated movement, as he suspected, then the unit's central processor was its engine and therefore the most important – and valuable – part.

The image of lifeless hazel eyes flashed in his memory. What good was an anthromorphic robotic body without a face to give it some semblance of humanity?

"It's all in the head!" Ban exclaimed triumphantly, underlining the word 'head' over and over again.

He spent the better part of the morning on the Internet while Ginji slept on one of the booth benches, saying he needed to conserve his energy. Ban was more than convinced that the android heads were the parts to go for, with a fully assembled unit all the more preferable. But first, he needed a clue as to which buyer would most likely purchase the stolen parts.

Having searched various robotic company websites and reading some of the related convention articles, scientific journals and university research abstracts from around the world, Ban found out that advances in robotic technology had been progressing at an abnormally break-neck pace.

_No doubt through the underground activities of places like Mugenjou and Babylon City,_ he frowned.

There were robotic heads, for example, that had been designed with over forty-five mechanical actuators that controlled facial movement. Considering there were fifty-three named muscles in the human face, theoretically, the robot could mimic human expression almost perfectly.

Combined with a speech synthesis device and an A.I. that was reactive to voice command or even emotion, and you had an android that could near pass for human. Ban felt all indications were that the missing heads could do just that.

Now he would have to find out which group would pay a huge amount of money yet risk its reputation by dealing in stolen merchandise.

Ban knew of one person who could help the Get Backers. The only person who could concern herself so deeply in the moral divides between the fake and the real, truth and deception, and art and life; that she would do – and pay - anything to keep the lines clearly defined.

---

"You want us to pay you WHAT?" Ban hollered incredulously into his mobile phone.

"I'm sure it's merely a pittance of what you expect to make from this new job of yours," the soft, breathy voice replied from the other line.

"Well, not if you're going to charge this much! This is highway robbery!" he protested. "And since when did you become a paid informer anyway, Clayman?"

"You know I'm only concerned with safeguarding aesthetic integrity. But since we're dealing with robots here, I'm sorry to say that's where my artistic altruism ends," she said matter-of-factly.

Ban made a face. "Oh, just admit it. Going straight has been tough on you, too, huh?"

There was a tiny trace of a giggle in Clayman's smooth, elegant tone. "The offer is as is. Take it or leave it."

"All right. All right," he relented, smiling smugly at having caught the poised art thief in a bind. "It's a deal."

"Good. Meet me at the 'National Museum of Western Art' in an hour and I'll have the information you need."

Ban snapped his phone shut. "Sheesh! Can you believe that hack? She just charged us – the Get Backers – for information. And after all we've done for her!"

"As long as it's valuable information, I don't see why not," Paul said while inspecting the saucer Shido had cracked earlier to see if it was still salvageable.

"It's valuable all right," he grumbled, running his fingers through his hair. "It cost us 50,000 yen!"

"Hmpfh! If I could only collect as much," Paul scolded, giving up on the saucer and tossing it into the rubbish bin.

"You implying something?" Ban looked at the café owner with a confident glint in his eyes. "Don't worry. If this job reels in as big a fish as I expect it should, you can consider our tab paid."

"In full?" Paul's mouth dropped open.

"Mmm."

He gripped the counter with both hands and leaned closer to know if he heard the brunette Get Backer clearly. "You're pretty sure about this, aren't you?"

"Since when have we failed at an assignment?"

"I meant the money..."

"It's going to be different this time. I can feel it," Ban threw his head back and sniffed.

Paul had no words.

"Ginji! Wake up!" Ban shook the sleeping boy roughly out of his slumber.

"Wha- is it lunch yet?" Ginji opened one eye and uncurled himself on the bench.

"Better. We've got a lead!" he replied enthusiastically, yanking Ginji to his feet. "Come on. If we leave now we can beat the lunch hour traffic to Taito."

Outside, as Ban fished out his car keys from his pocket, a glob of bird dung almost landed on his shoe.

Ban jumped back. "What the fu-"

He looked up to the clear sky. Searching for the avenging sparrow he assaulted earlier, he shouted, "So this is how it's going to be then! Well, bring it on!" He flipped a dirty finger up to the sky and entered the car.

"And tell that baboon to go screw himself!"

"Who on earth are you talking to?" Ginji inquired, greatly perplexed.

Before Ban could answer, a nasty, unidentifiable goop spattered all over his side mirror.

This job was not starting out well at all.

---

Ginji temporarily forgot the throbbing pangs of hunger in his belly while admiring the charms of Ueno Park.

"Ban-chan, how come we never visit this place during the Cherry Blossom Festival?" he asked as they strolled toward the museum.

"Hmm?" Ban looked back at his partner who was lagging behind. He forged on ahead. "I don't know. Too many people, I guess."

He didn't have the heart to say it was because he was the worst iconoclast there was. But Ginji wouldn't understand the word even if he knew what it meant.

Ginji kept silent, his eyes continuing to wander around the park.

"We can visit next spring, okay?" Ban finally offered, digging his hands deeper into his pockets. Ginji smiled and caught up with his friend.

At 'The National Museum of Western Art', the Get Backers roamed the galleries searching for their androgynous, silver-haired informant – hoping, that is, she wasn't wearing one of her clever masks.

Fortunately for them, she wasn't, and they found Clayman seated on a bench in front of _Still Life With A Boy Blowing Soap-Bubbles_ by 17th Century Dutch artist Gerard Dou.

Ban and Ginji positioned themselves on either side of the bench, studying the painting with her and respectfully waiting for Clayman to finish her moment and speak first.

Ban regarded the still-life elements of the painting – the soap-bubbles, the skull, hourglass – and the pensive young boy sinking against the ink- black background. He wondered if this was how Clayman saw Ginji and him. Ginji, unschooled and unsophisticated though was he, was particularly taken with the portrait.

"Vanitas," Clayman finally chimed in, her gaze dropping from the painting and resting on Ginji's entranced face.

"The emptiness and futility of man's existence," Ban translated, staring straight at the picture.

She nodded. "Except for our entertainment, what practical use does man have for a mechanical being re-created in near-perfect human form? In our need for absolute obedience and control are we stagnating ourselves and slowly erasing the instincts that keep humanity evolving?" Clayman pondered quietly, her cool countenance taking on a certain sadness.

As if sensing this, Ginji tore his attention away from the painting and sat beside her on the bench, catching her cold eyes with his warm ones. Clayman smiled and gently cupped Ginji's face in her sculptor's hand.

"I don't want to look into a perfect face and not see the dreams of a hundred lifetimes in its eyes... or touch soft, full lips that haven't been ravaged by the memory of a thousand frenzied kisses." She gave Ginji a pinch on the cheek.

She then turned to Ban. "Your android heads will never give the same emotional responses humans naturally crave."

"With robots, it's not about what humans crave emotionally, it's what they want physically," he retorted dryly, taking a seat.

"You've never been a romantic, have you?" Clayman teased. "Shame. With your breadth of perception you could be a brilliant artist in any medium you choose. I hear you play the violin very well."

"Never had I a need to become either a romantic or an artist."

"I see," she bowed her head. "I suppose your life was all about looking for a light to take away a part of your darkness. I'm happy you've found him – your balance." Clayman stood up and faced the two young men.

"Forgive me. I've misjudged you two. Instead of meeting at an exhibit of 'vanitas' I should've brought you to one of 'chiaroscuro'."

"Eh?" Ginji cocked his head. It puzzled him why any conversation with Clayman always veered toward the bizarre.

Ban calmly lay a hand on the confused Get Backer's shoulder. "She meant it as a compliment, Ginji." He looked up at the enigmatic woman. "I gather you learned a lot from this art lesson?"

"I did," she laughed as she reached into her suit jacket and pulled out a photo and a folded piece of stationery.

"His name is Kojio Kiyoshi," Clayman said as she handed over the materials to Ban. "Kojio is a third-rate sculptor and animatronics engineer heavily involved in tech espionage. As it were, his latest client is a large special effects company in Hollywood that happens to be in the market for an advanced anthromorphic head model."

"Kojio's arrival from Los Angeles last night coincides with your parts theft. I have no doubt he's the man you should be looking for."

Ban and Ginji briefly scanned the surveillance picture. Kojio was a slight, nebbish middle-aged man with a pale complexion and a bad comb-over. _Typical,_ Ban thought. Corporate spies and bag men like Kojio tended to be inconspicuous, methodical and predictable.

"Piece of cake," Ban snorted. He read through the folded sheet of paper with the name and room number of the hotel Kojio was staying in and tucked it into his shirt pocket.

"This is all we need." He and Ginji stood up, ready to leave. "Honest to God, Clayman, I hope your exorbitant fee is worth it.'

"Oh, I'm sure it is. But just in case you need a backup – "

She coolly passed them a white business card elegantly embossed in black with a striking Aubrey Beardsley-inspired drawing of a nude.

"What's this?" Ban enquired petulantly.

"Kojio. He has – exotic tastes," Clayman enunciated carefully, adjusting her silk tie.

"Whatever," Ban muttered as he thrust the card into his pocket. With a feeble backhand wave to the informant, he walked with Ginji out of the gallery.

Clayman smiled knowingly as she watched the Get Backers go. With great amusement, she imagined just how those two boys would react when they found out what 'exotic' really meant.

---

"Who does she think we are, anyway?" Ban fumed while peering through the lens of his trusty binoculars. "Backup, my ass."

Ban and Ginji were back in Shinjuku, parked, illegally as usual, on the street across the five-star hotel where Kojio was staying. The hot mid-day sun was beating down on the car and Ginji was fidgeting uncomfortably in his seat.

"Uh, Ban-chan. Can't we stake out Kojio inside the hotel? It's getting really hot in here," Ginji complained, fanning himself by flapping his shirt.

"Nah. If we waited in the lobby, we'd be too conspicuous if we didn't order anything, and no way in hell am I going to order an overpriced cup of coffee."

"How do you even know he's going to come out?"

"Believe me, a guy comes home to Tokyo for one day? He's definitely getting authentic Japanese for lunch," Ban declared confidently.

"Now why do the bad guys get to have lunch and we don't?" Ginji sighed as he threw his head back into the headrest.

"Here. Your turn," Ban passed the binoculars over to his partner and lit up. He took the card Clayman gave them and admired the intricate Art Noveau workmanship. Turning the card over, he noticed the gold-embossed Kanji script that read _'Your Fantasy, Our Pleasure'_ and the blank space below it.

"Hey, I could use this tagline," Ban thought aloud. "Except it would be – " He mimicked the deep voice of a commercial announcer. "– Mido Ban-sama. Jagan Master. Your nightmare. My pleasure."

Ginji chuckled. "Just as I thought. You're as hungry as I am."

"Shut up," Ban absent-mindedly shoved the card and his pack of cigarettes into his shirt pocket.

"Wait. I think I just spotted him. That's Kojio, right?" Ginji exclaimed as he quickly returned the binoculars.

Ban watched the short, skittish-looking man brusquely blow past the hotel doorman and stride to the curbside. As Kojio impatiently tried to flag down a cab, the Get Backers debated on what to do.

"Should we follow him?" Ginji asked anxiously as their man succeeded in hailing a taxi.

"I don't think he's picking up the package yet," Ban said. He put down the binoculars and contemplated his options for a second. Pulling his glasses over his eyes, Ban opened the door.

"Let's go. We'll find out more about his plans inside his hotel room."

Inside, Ban and Ginji walked down the plush hallway of the hotel searching for the right room, finally reaching it at the farthest corner.

"Heh. Our man Kojio is quite the inept criminal. He checked himself into 'Murder Central'," Ban sniggered as they stood before the door.

"Huh? What's 'Murder Central'?" Ginji already had his hand poised over the keyless entry lock.

"It's the room at the end of the hall and nearest the fire exit. Any intruder could enter with little chance of detection, do the deed, and make a fast escape through the stairs."

"Intruders, like us, right?" Ginji helpfully suggested.

Ban sucker-punched his partner. "Idiot! We're not intruders, we're Get Backers! Now short out that lock."

"Geez..." Ginji rubbed the back of his head. He then carefully positioned his fingers against the card slot. He needed only to discharge a tiny current and was able to push the door handle open.

Ban surged past Ginji inside. "Let's make this quick. It won't be long before security detects the lock malfunction."

They searched the room for packages of any kind, but found none, confirming Ban's suspicions. Then they carefully picked through Kojio's travel bag, which only contained a toiletry kit and a change of clothes.

Ban took notice of the pad of paper and pencil next to the phone. Using the pencil, he began shading over the top sheet to lift any pressure imprints left behind by the writing on the previous page.

Meanwhile, Ginji opened the mini-bar and stared longingly inside.

"If you're that hungry, take whatever's in there," Ban said without looking up from his task.

"But that's stealing!" Ginji gasped.

"No, it isn't. We're just taking back what was taken away," he rebutted. Ban tore out the shaded page and pushed it into his pocket. Walking over to the fridge he casually took a candy bar. "Our motto, remember?"

Ginji didn't think the retrieval mission included the contents of the mini-bar, but he was too hungry to argue with his friend's logic.

Reluctantly he took the remaining packet of peanuts and the bottled water before Ban grabbed that, too.

"So, did you find anything on the pad?" Ginji inquired before opening the bag of peanuts and dumping the whole lot into his mouth.

"Just flight confirmation details," Ban disappointingly replied. "He's leaving tomorrow morning so at least we know the pick-up is today."

He sat on the edge of the bed, chewing on the candy bar and considered what to do next. They could continue to tail Kojio all day and pounce when the target was in sight. But Ban knew this wasn't their style, and besides, it wasn't guaranteed they would catch him with the parts anyway.

They would definitely need to get close to Kojio somehow.

Ban pounded his fist into the mattress. "Shit. We've got no choice."

He sprung off the bed and hurried to the writing desk. He placed Clayman's card on it and hesitated.

Ban was aware that the business card advertised an _enjo kosai_ (1) club. Judging by the quality and design of the card, he could tell this was no random set-up of amateur teenage sex-for-sale. This club seemed organized, classy and exclusive to a select clientele – probably one that Kojio patronized before.

He wasn't quite sure how the situation would play itself out once they used the card, but it was the most viable option at the moment.

As Ban wrote one of the Get Backers' decoy cellphone numbers on the back of the _enjo kosai_ card, he didn't know what pissed him off more – the fact that they had to use Clayman's backup plan or that she might've known something like this could happen all along.

"Come on, Ginji. We're done here."

"But how is that card going to help us?" he asked as they walked to the foyer.

Ban crouched down before the door and placed the card strategically on the carpet, as if it were slipped under the gap. Then carefully, they stepped out and exited through the fire escape.

"If we can't get to Kojio, then we'll have to let Kojio come to us," Ban said as they flew down the stairs.

* * *

**_(1) enjo kosai :_** literally, "compensated dating", where high-school aged girls desperate for shopping money are paid by older men for dates/sexual services. Telephone clubs and anonymous chat lines are advertised through flyers and business cards and "dates" are arranged by mobile phone or e-mail. 


	4. Get Backer Sidekick Natsumi

**"Sum of the Parts"**

**Disclaimer : **Don't own the characters.

**A.N. : ** A big thanks to those who're still bearing with me on this long fic. Quite a lot of Natsumi and Paul in this chapter. Hope you like. As always, please keep those reviews coming because I really do love to hear from you!

ENJOY!

* * *

**_Chapter4 : Get Backers Sidekick Natsumi_**

It was nearing mid-afternoon and the Get Backers had yet to get back anything, but already they had lost close to a hundred grand in the form of Clayman's informant fee and a ticket for parking illegally in front of the hotel.

"That son of a bitch Kojio is costing us a fortune!" Ban cursed in utter dismay. "However this turns out, I swear I'm going to make him pay."

Ban and Ginji were back at the Honky Tonk. Even though they arrived together, only Ban was pelted with a hail of seeds and berries dropped by the persistent sparrow and some of his friends.

They sat, bored, at the counter, waiting impatiently for Kojio's phone call. Natsumi sat giddily between them, nervous, excited, and eagerly anticipating her chance to help the Get Backers with their mission.

Ginji's head was nestled in his arms on the counter, his gaze fixed on the cellphone. "Ban-chan, are you sure he's going to call?"

"If Kojio's the horndog that I think he is, he'll call," Ban answered, idly playing with his lighter.

Paul leaned against the refrigerator and crossed his arms. A look of concern was evident on his face. "Can't one of you guys answer the phone yourself? "I'm not sure Natsumi should involve herself in this."

"Duh. Do we sound like teenage girls to you? Ban exasperatingly replied. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but when you're calling for a date with a girl, you kinda expect to hear a female voice, right?"

Paul sighed and approached Natsumi. Whatever ounce of paternal instinct he had inside him was kicking in. "Are you sure you're okay with this? 'Cause if you're not – "

"Don't worry, boss," Natsumi smiled brightly. "I know what _enjo kosai_ is. I know what to do."

The three men instantly turned and stared at her with gaping mouths.

"Silly." Natsumi blushed. "What I meant was, I know what to say to the guy." They all breathed a collective sigh of relief.

She turned the pages of the journal in front of her. Apparently, she made some notes.

"Some of the girls in my class have tried doing it. The process is pretty straightforward, actually," Natsumi explained clearly and confidently. "First, you make small talk and feel each other out. Then the girl sets the ground rules and both parties negotiate, um…" She struggled for the right words "… what - acts she's expected to perform and, er… for how long. If he agrees…"

The guys continued to gawk at Natsumi. They couldn't help but smile dumbly at how their sweet, innocent high school waitress was suddenly sounding so – grown up.

"… they discuss a price. Usually, it's around 50,000 yen. But sometimes, if you're a… a virgin…" she stammered slightly. "… the rate can go up to 80,000."

"Tell him to make it 100,000," Ban interrupted. "You're definitely worth more than eighty grand."

"Ban-chan!" Ginji dissented strongly. "Natsumi's worth can't be measured by any price! Isn't that right, Boss?"

"Mmm-hmm," Paul nodded.

Natsumi looked to Ginji on her left, the flush on her lovely face deepening. He, in turn, gave her his most sincere smile; pure and without a trace of malice.

Ban felt he was going to be sick.

She immediately regained her composure and giggled softly. "Anyway, the conversation usually ends with details on where to meet and what time. Oh, and sometimes the guy will be helpful by saying he'll be wearing something identifiable, like a pin on the coat lapel or something like that."

Ban stood up and put his arm around Natsumi's shoulders. "See? What did I tell you, Paul? You don't have to worry about such a clever girl. Natsumi's a real pro."

Paul shot Ban a dagger look.

He realized his unintentional pun. "I didn't mean pro, prostitute. I meant pro, profe - oh, forget it!"

Ban turned to Natsumi. "Listen, just remember what I told you. All you have to do is turn on your charm and say yes to everything Kojio says. We want him to think your service is going to be so worth his money."

"Don't sound too excited or desperate. Act like what he's asking for is nothing new to you," Paul suggested.

" – And don't give your real name," Ginji piped in.

"- And let him suggest the time and place," Ban reminded. " And if he balks at 100,000 yen, tell him you'll throw in an extra hour free."

"Ban-chan!"

"You're not seriously considering collecting on this bugger, are you?" Paul asked incredulously.

"When I stick the Jagan on this dickhead and he just happens to fork over the dough in the middle of his dream – hell, why not?" Ban stubbornly defended himself. "Like I said, one way or another, I'm getting my money back."

Natsumi looked at Ban, then Paul, and Ginji, and back to Ban again as they tossed suggestion after suggestion at her. Finally, she cut in loudly.

"Guys! Guys! I've got it covered. Trust me," she winked.

And then the phone rang.

---

Everybody stared stupidly with disbelief at the mobile phone as it rang twice. Suddenly realizing that was her cue, Natsumi bounced of her seat and grabbed the phone and her journal.

"This is it. Wish me luck!" she exclaimed, heading off by herself to the farthest booth.

Ginji stood up to follow her. "Natsumi-chan…"

Ban held him back. "Natsumi has to do this on her own. She'll be fine."

Instead of her usual ebullient, high-pitched tone, they overheard Natsumi use an uncharacteristically cool, subdued, almost sensual voice when she answered the phone.

"Your fantasy is our pleasure. My name is Midori. How may I be of service to you..."

The minutes passed as the Get Backers sat anxiously at the counter trying to catch snippets of Natsumi's conversation with Kojio. Either she was a good actress or she was actually holding her own quite well – always answering in the affirmative, injecting a girlish laugh here and there and jotting down notes as she went.

"Okay. Eight o'clock then… I see… A dark blue suit with a gray handkerchief in the pocket… yes… the terms are acceptable… of course… You have a good day, sir…. Good-bye."

Natsumi hung up and rushed toward the counter.

"I did it! I can't believe I did it!" she shouted happily while jumping up and down, her face a picture of triumph.

"Nice work, Natsumi," Paul complimented proudly.

"Wow! You sounded so different. I think he really fell for you – Midori," Ginji teased.

"Hee!" she giggled bashfully.

"Yeah. Okay. Good job," Ban quipped impatiently. "So. Where does he want to meet you – or shall I say – us?"

Natsumi calmed herself down and flipped open her notes. "Well, here's the thing. You said I should agree to everything Kojio asked for, except the price, yes?"

"Uh, yeah," he held his breath, sensing he wasn't going to like where this was heading.

"He offered 70,000 yen for two hours. I refused. I said 100,000 for three hours. But then he thought awhile and said he was willing to give 180,000 for three hours provided I… er… Midori, brings, um, a companion," Natsumi explained. She checked her notes, making sure she got the details straight.

"I said, 'okay'." She nervously glanced up at Ban.

"That geezer wants a threesome?" Paul sneered in disgust. "From the looks of him, how on earth can his heart even take it?"

"What's a 'threesome'?" Ginji naively inquired.

Ban was unconcerned, mentally scolding himself for getting worried prematurely. "It's all right Natsumi. The more money, the better."

"You are something else," Paul shook his head.

"What's the big deal? It's not as if Kojio will actually get a chance to screw two chicks anyway," he scoffed. Once we get to the love hotel meeting place, I'll use the Evil Eye before he knows what hit him."

Ban laid a hand on Natsumi's shoulder. "Okay. So, where's this hotel Kojio wants to go to?"

"Oh. He didn't give a name of a hotel. He said he wants to meet up for drinks first at a club," she answered enthusiastically. "A costume club in Shibuya called…" She glanced at her journal. "…'Dolce Vita'."

The boys were speechless. It was as though they had forgotten something important – like breathing.

Ginji turned to his partner. "This is part of the plan, right, Ban-chan?"

Ban gulped. Now he could get worried.

---

"Say again? Are you sure Kojio didn't mention anything about a hotel?" Ban implored. He definitely was not liking his options right now.

Natsumi scanned her scribbles carefully. "Positive. He just said 'Club Dolce Vita, 8:00 PM'." Her eyes began to water. "I'm so sorry, Ban-san. Have I done something wrong?"

"No, you haven't," Paul insisted. He then chastised the Get Backers. "Didn't it occur to you that maybe the guy would like to – I don't know – meet his dates first before having sex with them?"

Ban grimaced, his hand scrunching his hair. "How was I supposed to know Kojio was going to get all gallant and gentlemanly on us? Usually, it's get to the hotel then 'Wham! Bam! Thank you, ma'am', if you know what I mean."

Ginji and Natsumi were two people who didn't really know what he meant. They sat beside each other, heads slightly bowed, embarrassed at all the sexual references.

"You guys can't follow through on a plan, as usual. It's a miracle you're still in business!" Paul argued.

"A little oversight, that's all," Ban grunted.

"Can't you use the Jagan on Kojio in the club?"

"I doubt we can get much out of him within a minute in such a noisy, crowded area," Ban admitted with deep frustration. "Plus, I don't think he'll appreciate two strange guys approaching him in the first place."

"Hmph! So you need girls on this job. Where the hell are you going to find two female volunteers to pose as Kojio's dates, quote-unquote?" Paul challenged.

"Ahem. Er, excuse me," Natsumi interjected timidly. "I think you'll only need one female volunteer. I forgot to tell you – that companion Kojio was requesting? Um… He wants a teenage boy – " She hesitated, obviously revolted.

" – dressed as a little girl."

"A _tranny_!" Ban slammed his fist into the counter. "And you said yes to that?"

"You said I should agree to everything he said," Natsumi replied defiantly, frowning.

"That's what you said, Ban. More money, the better, right?" Paul accused sarcastically.

"Godammit!" Ban paced back and forth on the Honky Tonk's wooden floor. "Who the hell is this guy? I swear I'm gonna kill that Clayman! How dare she involve the Get Backers in a freakin' fetish club. And she didn't say anything about Kojio being a total perv!"

Ginji felt compelled to defend Clayman. "You were in such a hurry to leave the museum you didn't hear her mention Kojio having 'exotic tastes' or something like that."

"Is that so?" Ban stopped in his tracks and patted his best friend on the back. "Well, since you were helpful enough to point that little tidbit out, you'll be a good boy and be helpful by satisfying those 'exotic tastes' of his."

Ginji's brown eyes grew the size of saucers. "Ban-chan!"

"Thank you for volunteering to be our transvestite, Ginji. Everyone appreciates your sacrifice."

"I'm not dressing like a girl. No way!"

"Tsk. Tsk. Of course, you can do it. You're a pro, aren't you?

"No! No! No! I don't care." Ginji mumbled dejectedly, knowing full well all resistance was futile.

Ban lit a cigarette and inhaled so hard he practically swallowed it. He felt close to having an aneurysm. "So that takes care of one problem. Now, for our girl."

"Himiko?" Paul proposed.

"In Kyoto delivering some very rare orchids," he snorted. "Besides, that tomboy won't pass for a Shibuya _kogal _1 even if her life depended on it. Next?"

"Hevn?" Ginji offered blankly..

Ban gagged. "You've got to be kidding me. We're looking for teenagers, not hags with big boobs. Next!"

"Who else? Madoka?" Paul added.

"She may be blind, but she can kick ass. However, monkey-trainer will kick mine for even mentioning her. Next!"

"How about Sakura?" Ginji said. "She's cute and she's tough."

"That could work, but only if Samurai Boy accompanies her as the cross-dresser. I bet Thread Spool would love that," Ban grinned sardonically.

Pretty soon, their short-list ran out. Ban was absolutely mortified at finding out he could only count the women he knew closely on just one hand.

"This can't be right!" he protested incredulously. "How is it possible that all the girls we know either want us dead, broke or both? For crying out loud! Where are all the normal chicks?"

"Let's face it Ban-chan. We don't know any girls at all," Ginji moaned miserably. "Gosh. I didn't realize we were that pathetic."

"Speak for yourself, Ginji," Ban insisted obdurately. "I clearly remember knowing an Aiko, a Nami, and a Karin from somewhere…"

"Bar girls, no doubt," Paul snickered. "No, wait. I take that back.. You're so stingy no hostess or hooker would ever pay attention to you. Must be a figment of your own Jagan."

"You dare insinuate I'm not getting any?"

"Hey, you said it, not me."

"Paul! I swear I'll –"

" – Oh look! Your tab just sprouted another zero!"

While Ban and Paul insulted each other's sex life (or lack thereof), Natsumi slowly gathered up the courage to speak up and volunteer.

"Guys, you have a high school girl right here in front of you. I'd be more than willing –"

The bickering abruptly stopped. "NO!" Ban, Ginji and Paul simultaneously turned to her and vehemently chorused their objection.

Stunned by the outburst, Natsumi gasped sharply and almost fell from her seat. Shaking, she gripped the counter to steady herself. A tear fell on her crimson cheek. An uncomfortable silence followed.

"I just want to help, that's all," Natsumi sniffled softly. "I should've asked you first if the arrangement was okay before saying yes." She shook her head hard.

"This wouldn't have happened if not for me. It's my mistake. I have to fix it."

Ginji came over and gently put his hand over Natsumi's. His warm, flowing current of energy passed easily from his fingers to her fingers, spreading up, around, and through her until she felt the heaviness of her guilt being zapped away.

Natumi felt as if she could float on air. _Am I imagining this? Is this the effect of his electricity – or something else?_

"You don't have to fix anything," Ginji soothingly assured her. "This job is much too dangerous for you." He removed his hand off of her, sheepishly scratched his head and chuckled.

"But actually, we could have a lot of fun if we put on costumes, go to that club and play Kojio for the fool, don't you think?

"Gin-chan…" Natsumi looked up to the smiling blond with extreme surprise in her eyes.

"But…" his tone turned serious. "I know I wouldn't be able to control myself if Kojio laid even one finger on you. I'd have to stun him in front of all those people and we'd blow our cover."

Ban rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe Ginji had envisioned such a scenario in his airy head. _What a sappy, romantic knight-in-shining-armor._ However, Ban smiled despite himself.

Ginji turned his head towards his partner. "Besides this is all Ban-chan's fault anyway. And since there are no other alternatives, I think he agrees the only way he can fix this is by playing the part of the girl himself."

Ban stood frozen, face twisted and eyes crossed. His cigarette was slowly slipping from his lips.

"WHAT?"

Natsumi wiped the tear from her cheek and smiled. Ginji gave her hand a final squeeze and said, "You've helped us enough already."

Ban was cursing under his breath, walking zombie-like towards Ginji with his hand poised for a Snake Bite. But before he could claw at Ginji's head, Natsumi came between them

"Ban-san!" she exclaimed, taking his lethal, outstretched hand in hers. "You're so brave to take the place of a woman on this job. And I knew you couldn't leave Gin-chan to do this without you. How sweet!"

"Of course. Ban-chan would never forget the 'S' in Get Backers," Ginji winked, putting his arm around his best friend's rigid shoulders.

While Natsumi and Ginji fawned over him, Ban remained mute and in a stupor.

"I don't know if the name 'Midori' suits you at all," Paul jeered. "But at least, you'll have no trouble remembering it."

In a daze, Ban slowly sat on a bar stool and banged his head repeatedly on the counter. _Maybe if I put myself in a coma, I can surely get out of this._

"Oi. Oi. Don't kill yourself just yet. Pay your debt first," Paul insisted, half-heartedly trying to stop the spiky-haired freeloader from chopping up the bar with his head.

"Oh! I know! I know!" Natsumi excitedly clapped her hands together, her gray eyes shining like polished silver. "I know what else I can do to help you out. My cousin belongs to the Drama Club of his all-boys private school nearby. He's about the size of both of you. I can borrow all of his costumes!"

"Eh. Hehe. That's – great, Natsumi-chan," Ginji stammered. He had been so preoccupied with making Natsumi feel better he almost forgot the reality of his absurd situation. Suddenly, he was feeling none too enthusiastic.

"He played 'Titania, the Fairy Queen' in last term's production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. He looked so sparkly and so pretty…"

"My God," Ban groaned wretchedly as he sprawled half his body on the counter in despair. "This is not happening…"

"… and I can do your make-up just like I did for Kazuki-san that other time…" Natsumi continued, as exuberant as a little girl playing with her first doll.

"Unnnhh…" Ginji whimpered, feeling faint.

"I can go to my cousin's right now. Hee! I'm so excited!" Natsumi fluttered about in a tizzy. She began untying her apron.

"Boss, can you handle things here?"

Paul nodded with an amused smile. "Do whatever you need to do. I'm not going anywhere." His eyes were laughing at the Get Backers from behind the round, dark glasses. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."

"Thanks!" I'll be back in an hour." Natsumi hung her apron on the coat hook, waved at everyone and skipped out of the Honky Tonk.

Ban buried his head in his arms and finally said, "Well, at least someone is happy about this whole thing."

Ginji sat on the stool beside his partner and laid his head on the bar. "Ban-chan?"

"Yeah?" he turned his head and their doleful eyes met.

"What have we gotten ourselves into?"

Ban took off his purple glasses and blinked. "My worst nightmare."

* * *

What do you think so far? Reviews please. I appreciate it. Thanks!

Next chapter : It's a drag being Get Backers on this job. Plus, Natsumi messes up Ginji real good (or bad).

**(1) _kogal :_** young women with highly disposable incomes or allowances who usually frequent the club circuits and shopping districts wearing heavy make-up, outrageous outfits and sporting designer accessories.


	5. Banshee and Ginshee

**"Sum of the Parts"**

**Disclaimer : **You know the drill.

**A.N. : ** Is anyone even going to start retrieving anything? Hmmm… Maybe on this fic, the job is beside the point (wink, wink). Anyway, this is turning out to be one rambling piece, so, big wet kisses to those who are still making an effort to keep up. I originally planned on simply making Ginji and Natsumi drop hints on each other, but Ginji just HAD to wax poetic hahaha. Read on to find out more. Hope no one's OOC. As always, please keep those reviews coming because I really do love to hear from you!

ENJOY!

* * *

**_Chapter 5 : Banshee and Gin-she_**

Natsumi returned within the hour with a big shopping cart full of shoes, wigs, accessories and costumes covered in garment bags. The boys were astonished that she had pushed the cart the whole ten blocks from her cousin's flat back to the Honky Tonk.

Ginji frowned as he took the cart and dragged it into the dining hall. "Natsumi-chan, you should've called us. We could've picked you up from your cousin's place."

"I'm fine. Really," she panted, standing for a moment at the doorway trying to catch her breath. "You guys have enough to worry about." She put on her apron and checked the clock. Only a few hours remained until the meeting at the club.

"Come on. Let's pick out your costumes, shall we?"

As Natsumi began organizing stuff on the tables, Ginji watched her with admiring eyes, quite liking the determined, take-charge attitude she had assumed.

She felt his gaze boring into her. "What?" Natsumi smiled, tucking a loose strand of raven hair behind her ear.

"Um. Nothing," he answered sheepishly. Snapping out of his distraction, he helped her take out costumes out of the garment bags.

Meanwhile, Ban remained rooted to the bar stool staring at the pushcart. "Your cousin seems to take his drama roles very seriously," he mused. "Is there any possibility he might want a job?"

"I can't pay him, but if he ever needs the Get Backers' services in the future, I'll give him a ten-percent discount…"

"Off your ass, you cheap bastard!" From behind the counter Paul shoved Ban out of his seat. "What happened to the Get Backers motto of seeing an assignment through to the very end?"

"Is that one of our mottos? I don't recall," Ban feebly joked. He ambled reluctantly to the cart. Spotting two brassieres, he held them up.

"What do you think? Should I go with the B-cup or the C-cup?"

---

"There's no friggin' way I'm wearing THAT!" Ban howled, rejecting the 18th Century gown and powdered wig from _'Les Liasons Dangereuses'_.

Natsumi had neatly arranged all the costumes and their respective accessories on the counter and was holding them one by one for Ban to inspect. So far, he had said no to the fairy queen costume, an Eliza Doolittle bustled gown and a hideously plain dress from _'The Music Man'_.

To everyone's surprise, Ban was being prudent with his choice. In his opinion, just because he had to dress like a girl didn't mean he had to look stupid.

Ban's enormous ego demanded nothing short of perfection, and if he had to convince Kojio he was a female anyway, then he'd make damn sure he was the finest-looking "girl" at the club.

The next outfit was a funky blue beaded fringe flapper dress with matching black bob wig straight from _Chicago_. The dress complimented Ban's sapphire-coloured eyes, but he thought it was way too short for his tastes. Besides, he knew the black heeled pumps he'd be forced to wear with the costume would be absolute murder to walk in.

Ban was finally left with the obvious choice - an all-black, form-fitting jacket and skirt ensemble that was used as the costume for the 'Wicked Witch of the West' character in _'The Wizard of Oz'_. The long jacket was a complicated leather contraption with an asymmetrical hem and high-necked collar, and was adorned with silver zippers, chains and buckles. The skirt was an elegant patchwork of leather and satin that flared into a floor-sweeping train.

Ban took the clothes from Natsumi. "Drat. I guess this will have to do."

Unpleasant memories of life with his grandmother, the 'Last Witch of the 20th Century', came flooding back. _How ironic. I wonder what that crone would've thought if she saw me in this,_ Ban thought bitterly. _No doubt, put another curse on me for mocking the order._

"Natsumi, I'm curious." He held the dress up to his chin. "Was your cousin's 'Wicked Witch' character supposed to look like a dominatrix?"

"Dominatrix? Oh – that," Natsumi cocked her head and shrugged. "His drama club is notorious for staging weird adaptations of the classics. I think the wicked witch was supposed to symbolize the evils of Western imperialism– " She stopped, surprised that statement came out of her mouth. "- or something like that."

"Sheesh. You teenagers are so whacked," Ban clicked his tongue, apparently forgetting that he was just out of his teens himself.

Ginji waved his hand, trying to catch his friends' attention. "Excuse me. How about me? What am I going to wear?"

"Ah. Yours is easy." Ban grabbed the last costume on the counter - a periwinkle blue balloon-sleeved dress trimmed in black ribbon with a white ruffled pinafore.

Thrusting it into Ginji's arms, he said, "I'm sure you'll make an excellent _Alice__ in Wonderland'_."

Ginji stared with uncertainty at the bundle. "Is this the only choice I've got?" His pleading eyes turned to Natsumi, who replied with an apologetic nod.

"Kojio wants to see a little girl, he'll get a little girl."

"But Ban-chan," he held out the frock in front of him and whined. "This looks so tiny. It doesn't even reach to my knees."

"So what? You wear shorts all the time. Same thing."

"No, it's not!" Ginji dissented with a pout. Once again, his partner's twisted sense of logic floored him.

"Well, we'll soon find out, won't we?" Ban sighed heavily. He began heading off to the backroom to get changed.

---

Ginji had his palms against the wall, grimacing.

"Ban-chaaan…It's too tight…" he moaned.

"Keep still!" Ban grunted from behind him. "It'll fit… Just a little bit more…"

"Ow! Don't push so hard!"

"Ugh!" Ban gripped Ginji's shoulder vigorously with his left hand and leaned closer to his back for leverage.

"Yes!"

With a last push, Ban finally pulled the dress zipper up.

Ginji turned and collapsed against the wall, wheezing. "I didn't think it would go all the way."

"Me neither," Ban breathed sharply as he lit a cigarette. "It was kind of stuck. Maybe it would've slid up better with some lubrication?"

Ginji straightened up and pulled on his collar. "Well, this dress is still too small for me." He then fussed with the tulle petticoat of the flouncy skirt. "And this skirt is itchy. And I can't move my arms much, and…"

"Geez! Quit your blathering will you?" Ban fumed. "How do you think I feel? Fortunately for you, you just have to dress like a girl. I not only have to dress like a girl, I have to act and sound like one! So don't think I have it easy!"

He unfurled a roll of toilet paper and began stuffing the sheets into his brassiere (he chose the B-cup, thinking there was no need to go overboard with size. Not that anyone would see his lack of boobs anyway).

"Plus, I have to wear this stupid bra!"

"At least you get to wear your jeans underneath that thing. All I've got are my boxers, and believe me, it's pretty drafty down here." Ginji mourned, then sat down dejectedly.

"Now's not the time to concern yourself with modesty. We're disguised as prostitutes, remember?" Ban reminded pointedly.

Natsumi knocked. "Excuse me. Is everyone decent?"

When the Get Backers didn't answer, Natsumi strode right into the storeroom holding a bunch of wigs and a huge vanity kit. They all stared at one another for a few seconds, and to Ban and Ginji's chagrin, she was holding a hand to her mouth, on the verge of bursting into a fit of giggles.

"That bad, huh?" Ban muttered, exhaling a big cloud of smoke. On the chair, Ginji instinctively closed his legs together and blushed.

Natsumi bit her lip. She didn't quite know how best to respond to an uncomfortable boy wearing a baby doll dress and a proud, unpredictable man wearing a long, black skirt and bra.

It was way too surreal an image for a simple girl like her.

"Er… Honestly? No. Not that bad at all," Natsumi said sincerely. She was fast to recover her bearings. Ban called her a real pro just a few hours ago, and she wasn't about to let him down.

"I don't know what you guys would do without me," Natsumi declared with a laugh. She put down her things and walked up to Ban. "Let me help you with that."

Ban stood stiffly, and with a raised eyebrow, watched Natsumi's earnest face as she deftly and efficiently adjusted the bra straps until they were snug around his shoulders.

She stepped back. "There. That should be more comfortable."

The ashes of Ban's perilously dangling cigarette fell to the floor. "It is. Uh, thanks."

Natsumi felt her heart explode. She couldn't remember the last time he had thanked her properly. Turning to a perturbed Ginji, she took his arm and pulled him off the chair. Mockingly, she scolded. "Don't you know how to dress yourself? Your apron is crooked."

With an almost motherly care, Natsumi silently straightened the pinafore and tied it behind Ginji's back in a neat little bow. Then, with both hands, she smoothed out the folds, ruffles and creases on the dress while he remained perfectly still, until the dress looked almost new.

"Here," she handed him a brand-new pair of striped white knee-hi socks. "Wear these. They'll look nice with your dress and shoes."

"Okay. If you say so, Natsumi-chan." Ginji took the socks and sat back down on the chair to remove his sneakers.

Natsumi eyed him briefly with an understanding look on her face and then returned to the makeup kit on the table. Opening the box with a flourish, she announced,

"So… Who's first?"

---

"If you need me, I'll be in the bathroom finishing up," Ban said with an uncharacteristic embarrassment in his voice. He picked up the dress top and his other accessories. "You sure I don't look like Medusa or someone like that?"

Ginji and Natsumi locked gazes with the now not-so-cocky Get Backer, unable to believe the person in front of them with the heavily made-up eyes and pale complexion was Ban.

"You look fine," Natsumi assured brightly.

"This is ridiculous," he grumbled as he left the room.

"Did I say something wrong?" she wondered out loud.

Ginji shook his head. "I think he wanted us to tell him he looked absolutely gorgeous."

He and Natsumi burst into snickers.

She resumed putting a peach gel blush on Ginji's cheeks with feathery strokes of her fingers. Natsumi could literally feel his nervousness. Instead of a warm wave of current, he emitted prickly impulses that spiked up sporadically as she touched his face.

She then painted on a glossy coral-coloured lipstick on his mouth while he tapped his foot restlessly. "Don't fidget, Gin-chan… Oh shoot…."

A bit of gloss smeared off Ginji's lower lip. Natsumi lightly traced the outline of his lip with her finger to wipe it off. He flinched.

"Eeep!" She yelped. Natsumi whipped off her hand after receiving a small shock.

"I'm so sorry," Ginji apologized, puppy-dog eyes growing wide with equal parts concern and remorse. "For some reason, this job is making me nervous."

"It's because you've never done this before, silly. Dress like a girl, I mean." Natsumi looked thoughtful. "And neither has Ban-san. But not even this will stop the Get Backers from success, right?"

Ginji immediately felt ashamed. He knew he had no right to be so doubtful before such an optimistic, believing young lady.

"Natsumi-chan? Why are you always so nice to us?"

She pulled up her chair so that their knees almost touched.

"The Get Backers once got back something that made me very happy," she smiled angelically. "I, too, want to be a retriever. But this time, I want to help get back something that will make _you_ happy."

Ginji swallowed hard, leaning so far back into his chair that it almost tipped over.

Natsumi placed her hands on the arms of the chair and moved closer. "Something I know you want a lot of…"

Ginji didn't want for much, but, at the moment? Some compulsion inside of him definitely wanted to take what she was offering.

"W-w—want a lot of?"

"Money!" Natsumi clapped her hands.

"I'm helping you get your money back! Ban-san is always complaining about how broke you guys are, and when Kojio offered 180,000 yen, I thought 'Wow. That's a lot of cash. What would the Get Backers do? And so…"

Ginji sat paralyzed and slack-jawed. Despite his hunger, he lit up like a plasma ball.

---

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Ban stared hard at himself in the mirror, barely recognizing the pale, striking face that stared back. He had to admit he didn't look bad at all. Bewitching, in fact, if he would use a pun.

Natsumi had a good, steady, and creative hand. She used midnight shades to paint the lids of Ban's eyes, lining them in heavy kohl and using false eyelashes to bring out the cold fire in their intense blue colour, making him look other-worldly exotic.

As an added touch, Natsumi drew a snake-like Celtic symbol that curled gracefully from the corner of his left eye, up his brow and down his cheek, adding three tiny rhinestones to accent it. Finally, dark burgundy lipstick highlighted the luminosity of Ban's makeup and drew attention to his fine bone structure.

Ban ruminated whether he could actually hit on a female version of himself. He took a deep breath and put on the long, straight, blue-black coloured wig. Throwing his head back, he adjusted the strands around his shoulders and assessed the damage.

"Damn! I'd definitely do me," Ban said to himself with an extremely affected grin.

Sure, he looked like some refugee from an S&M version of _'The Addams Family'_, and sure, the figure-hugging dress was strangling him, but he didn't mind at all.

From all angles, Ban swished and twirled and posed. Studying his sleek form in the tight leather jacket and skirt that just swept the floor, he took one last long look in the mirror. He decided he could really pull this stunt off.

Except…

"Wait. No. No, it can't be…" he muttered to himself with deep dread.

Slowly, he took the pointy, black witch's hat that came with the dress and placed it on his head.

Black dress, black hat, black stringy hair. Snake eyes pierced the glass as Ban came to a terrifying realization.

"HOLY SHIT! _I fucking look like Akabane in drag!" _he screamed.

Ban blasted out of the restroom and blazed a trail down to the Honky Tonk's bar. Paul saw the banshee (1) creature fly towards him and he fearfully backed into the refrigerator.

Ban banged his fists into the counter in a flurry of leather and chains.

"Do I remind you of someone?" He demanded.

Silence.

Paul remained plastered to the fridge. His cigarette fell from his gaping mouth and all that could be heard was the tiny thud of it hitting the floor.

Paul stammered incoherently.

"Shut up!"

"I was shut up, you fool!"

Ban plopped down on the bar seat. If Paul really had eyes behind those dark glasses, he could swear they were popping out of their sockets right now.

He tried to calm down by giving himself a pep talk.

"We're Get Backers. We can do this. We're professionals. One-hundred percent success rate… Almost… Take back what's taken… hehehe…"

_Oh boy, he's losing it, _Paul fretted while creeping little by little away from the babbling witch-thing in front of him.

"This is so humiliating," Ban wailed. "Look at me! Just look at me…" It was hard not to. "I can't believe we're still going to do this."

"As much as I want to stop you guys from making complete idiots of yourselves, I won't." Paul's hand was unconsciously reaching for one of the bottles on the liquor display.

"Your tab is on the line here. So, what can I say? You go, girl!"

The barkeep scratched his head and cleared his throat uneasily. "Besides, except for that hat and the bondage gear… ahem… you look… okay."

Paul had to admit if that was a real girl there sitting at his bar, he most probably wouldn't say no to it.

_Ewww._ He felt sick just having thought that.

"Thanks a lot. You're such a big help," Ban scorned sarcastically while lighting up.

Suddenly, his head turned towards the direction of the bathroom. Eyes narrowing – false eyelashes and all – he sighed out a billow of smoke.

"Oi, Paul," he motioned rapidly with his hand. "A shot of that tequila, will you?"

Paul guiltily snatched his hand away from the tequila bottle he had been fondling and stood right in front of it.

"Eh? What tequila? Don't know what you're talking about, hehe."

Ban glowered.

"Oh, all right. But just because you look like you're seriously going to put a curse on me," Paul grumbled loudly as he took the tequila and shot glass. "And may I remind you this is my best and most potent bottle so it's 1,000 yen a pop."

"What? That's crazy!" Ban roared. He then shrugged. "Potent, you say? Fine. Fill 'er up."

Paul filled the glass and slammed it on the counter. "Happy hour starting early for you?"

Ban took a long drag out of his cigarette. "Ginji. He's going to freak right about – "

With bated breath, he let a few seconds pass and exhaled " – now."

---

Illuminated by the soft, warm glow of the fading sunlight pouring in through the storeroom windows, Natsumi stood behind Ginji, carefully brushing the long, blonde hairpiece down his back.

"It's not sliding off, is it?" she asked.

"No. It's fine." Ginji replied softly.

He had calmed down considerably while attentively listening to Natsumi recall how she negotiated and re-negotiated their asking price from Kojio. He found it strange why she usually had that effect on him.

Ginji knew he had a tendency to ramble on inanely and to say the wrong things at the wrong time. But of all his friends, he could rely on Natsumi to hang on to his every uncomplicated word and to meet his naiveté with an understanding smile.

Ginji's life had been full of condescension – stemming from people's fear of his ineffable power or from pity of his inescapable fate.

But here was this high school student who ordinarily should have nothing to do with him, yet would willingly buy him lunch with her scant allowance or risk her safety by helping the Get Backers with a job.

Ginji wondered if Natsumi's devotion was out of sheer indebtedness or if something deeper egged her on.

And then it dawned on him. Lately, he'd been spending down time between jobs not with his partner Ban – who usually sat in a corner fighting the countless demons and ghosts that inhabited his mind – but with Natsumi.

Whether they talked about their mutual love for animals, played a game of _shogi_ together, shared a laugh over the latest manga, or wagered bets on the most trivial things; Ginji began to suspect that maybe, just maybe, Natsumi enjoyed his company simply because he was Amano Ginji.

Not Raitei. Not the Messiah of Mugenjou. Not even because he was one-half of the invincible Get Backers.

_Just plain old stupid Ginji._

He likened the time he spent with her at the Honky Tonk to being in a small, fragile bubble – with Ban outside ready to pop him out of it. But in the short time he was inside, Ginji was free of peril, with no need to zap bad guys or have scalpels thrown at him.

Inside was merely peace, comfort and – normalcy. It was a safe, little haven he wished he could expand.

However, Ginji realized Natsumi would soon enter college, starting a new chapter in her life much like he did when he left Mugenjou behind.

She, too, would eventually leave the craziness of the Honky Tonk and abandon the folly of associating with foolish, hapless, out-of-luck Get Backers. And when that day came, Ginji knew…

He would miss her terribly.

"Chin up and let me get a good look at you," Natsumi ordered as she lightly tilted Ginji's head up. She gasped.

"Oh. Oh my… You look – wait, just one more thing." Awe-struck, Natsumi fished around her vanity kit for some black grosgrain ribbon which she then tied around his hair. Pulling back, she scrutinized the results. It took an amount of effort to contain her squeals.

"Gin-chan!" Natsumi clasped her hands and excitedly hopped in place. "You're so pretty!"

Ginji's big brown eyes grew larger as the breeze blew the straight golden strands around his surprised face.

"You look just like a doll!" she gushed, yanking Ginji off the chair. "Wait till Ban-san and Master see you!"

"Natsumi-chan! Don't – Whoa…!

Ginji teetered on the black platform Mary Janes he wore and tried to grab on to something to steady himself.

But Natsumi was playing tug-of-war on his arm and he soon lost his balance. Falling forward, he tackled her.

"Eek!" Natsumi screamed as they landed hard. Fortunately, Ginji had cradled her head in his arms so it didn't hit the floor. Unfortunately, though, he was squarely on top of her.

"Are you okay?" Ginji asked frantically, his face inches away from hers – except, it was covered in a tangle of his blonde and her black hair.

"I'm all right," the tiny voice replied from behind the mass.

Raising his head, Ginji freed one of his hands, moved his hair to one side and brushed Natsumi's locks away from her face.

"Thank goodness," he smiled with relief.

She stared up at him with a deep rose flush on her cheeks and squeaked. "Gin-chan… you're… um… heavy…"

"Oh… right." With much confusion, Ginji squirmed on top of Natsumi and tried to find his feet.

"Er. I don't think I can stand up in these shoes," he whispered apologetically.

"Maybe, if you can kneel first?" She turned her head away in extreme embarrassment.

"Mm." He got on his knees and straddled Natsumi. With his arm still around her, he raised her body along with his. His eyes darted everywhere.

"Okay. Now what?"

They basked silently for a moment in their ludicrous situation. Suddenly, Natsumi erupted in a crescendo of laughter, and soon, Ginji followed suit.

They stopped just as they had started when their eyes engaged in a yearning gaze.

"Promise me, Natsumi-chan, wherever you go, you won't forget to visit the Honky Tonk and treat me to dinner, okay?"

"What do you mean 'wherever I go'? You're talking nonsense again." She playfully knocked him on the shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere, Gin-chan… "

"But I promise, anyway." She added softly with a twinkle in her eye. "I always have."

Ginji nodded. And as if by force of his own electromagnetism, he pulled Natsumi closer to him while she pressed a hand on his chest, absorbing more of the invisible, searing sparks that shot through every pore of his body.

The expression on his face was one she had never seen before – serious, determined, manly (even though, ironically, he was currently made up to look like a girl).

Maybe this was the face of the Thunder Emperor that people saw and feared when Ginji was still the ruler of Mugenjou.

Natsumi felt powerless in his possession. It scared and enthralled her at the same time.

Ginji's impulses - physical and emotional – were in a jumble. Whatever will he had was now lost in the short-circuiting synapses that controlled his body. He wasn't sure if he should do what he was about to do, or if it was prudent to do it looking the way he did now…

But those impulses were prevailing and the girl in his arms was in complete surrender. So, with Ginji's hand slowly guiding Natsumi's beautiful face to his, their foreheads touched, their eyes closed, and –

Ban screamed from the bathroom.

"Ban-chan!" Ginji gasped. He quickly pulled away from Natsumi.

_It's a sign. This was a mistake. He's angry…_ He let go of her and clumsily crawled towards the door in a nervous panic.

Ginji knew he had lost control. He felt as though he had turned into Raitei. _But that's impossible. This isn't Mugenjou._

Like the Thunder Emperor, Ginji felt the raging surge of power and the blinding loss of self-will. However, unlike his alter-ego, he had been aware of every blissful moment that happened, and the currents that coursed through him bore no anguish whatsoever, but rather, felt – pleasant.

This new side of him was nothing like what he ever experienced before, and it intrigued him greatly.

"Gin-chan… You did nothing wrong," Natsumi said in a near whisper as she sat sprawled on the floor.

Ginji didn't hear her. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what came over me," he said with a tinge of guilt in his voice. Using the doorknob to awkwardly pull himself up, Ginji reeled toward the bathroom.

"Ban-chan! I didn't know what I was doing. I –" he stumbled inside, but instead of seeing his partner, he met his own reflection in the mirror. Only he swore it wasn't him.

After a few minutes, Natsumi followed Ginji in and found him with his head half-buried in the sink.

"If I had anything to throw up, I'd be puking right now," he wailed wretchedly. "I look like a girl."

Natsumi cocked her head as she patted him on the back. "I thought that was the point."

Ginji sat on the toilet and bit his nails. "No, I should look like a boy who looks like a girl, not a girl who looks like a girl."

"It's probably the wig," she explained. "I hardly put any makeup on you since you looked – perfect."

Ginji looked down and refused to meet her eyes. Natsumi was doing that _thing_ to him again. If she didn't stop soon, eventually, someday, he wouldn't be able to control himself from doing what he almost did in the storeroom.

"Let's go. Ban-san is waiting for you," she commanded as she pulled him off the toilet. Smiling, she added, "And don't fall on me again."

Whimpering as he went, Ginji tip-toed gingerly down the corridor, creeping close to the wall. He peeked out his head when he reached the corner and saw Paul talking to a black-clad figure with black hair and a black hat. He heard air raid sirens go off in his head.

"Nyaah! Akabane-san!" Ginji cried as he turned chibi and ran back up the corridor towards Natsumi. With his blonde wig and dress he looked like a freaked-out Cabbage Patch doll.

Chibi-Ginji glomped onto Natsumi's leg and crawled up until his head was hidden under her short skirt.

"Eee-yaaah! Gin-chan!" she shrieked.

"A-A-Akabane-san! Why's he here?" he trembled from underneath.

---

"Oh brother," Ban rolled his eyes as he jumped off the bar stool.

An astonished Natsumi watched as the pissed-off Get Backer seemingly floated towards her_. If the Grim Reaper was a woman, she'd probably look like Ban right now,_ was all she could think of.

Ban reached under Natsumi's skirt and pried chibi-Ginji off her leg.

"Ginji! You moron! It's me!" Ban shouted into his face as he held up the tiny, writhing figure by both ears.

"But… But… All black… Hat…"

"Forget the hat!" He tore the hat from his head and shook Ginji until he reverted back to his normal form. "How could you not know it was me?"

"Sorry, Ban-chan. But from the back you really did look like Dr. Jackal."

Ban was grinding his teeth to bits.

Ginji cowered and stood knock-kneed as Ban held him at arm's length. They studied each other from head to toe.

"Heh, Ginji. Kojio's definitely going to love you," Ban approved with a sneaky smirk.

Ginji tugged down at his skirt as if it would help make it longer. "You're so cruel. That's not what I wanted to hear."

"Oi. I just paid you a compliment," Ban made a face.

"I don't care. All I know is, I don't want to go out looking like this."

" – And you think I do?" Ban pushed Ginji toward the bar. "Shit. Let's just get this over with."

The Honky Tonk could've crumbled all around him and Paul still would be staring at that ill-tempered dominatrix witch and that, that tall blonde, baby-faced little _girl_.

"So, Paul. What do you think of the new Get Backers?" Ban put a hand to his hip while Ginji wobbled pigeon-toed on his platform shoes.

"Don't they look beautiful, Master?" Natsumi squealed.

"Dear Lord Almighty in Heaven… " Paul mumbled, taking a long swig out of his 50,000 yen bottle of tequila. He had vowed only to take a shot on special occasions.

This, however, qualified as an emergency.

* * *

There you go. So, I had to include a fluffy GinjixNatsumi piece. I just couldn't resist. Like it? Hate it? Please review. Thanks in advance! See you next chapter! 

**Next chapter :** Ginji and Ban / Midori go clubbing with the freakazoids when they meet a familiar face. Well, actually, not – as a horrified Ban finds out.

**(1) **This was originally an unintended pun. Really.


	6. Ladies Night, Oh, what a night

**"Sum of the Parts"**

**Disclaimer : **Don't own Ban, Ginji or the rest of the gang, just playing puppet master on this fan fic so I can make them do incredibly twisted things. BWAHAHAHA!

**A.N. : ** I'm done with fluffy GinjiXNatsumi for now. Hope you liked! Anyway, starting with this chapter, it gets a little _ecchi_, and Ban, being the "Get Backers" resident lech, may act accordingly ;). So, a word of warning to y'all who like their Ban vanilla-flavored, 'cause you probably won't find him here hehe. As always, please keep those reviews coming because I really do love to hear from you!

ENJOY!

* * *

**_Chapter 6 : Ladies Night (Oh, what a night)_**

'The Wicked Witch' held up a glowing glass of amber liquid, tempting young, innocent 'Alice' with it.

"You must be thirsty. Here, drink this."

"Thirsty _and_ starving," 'Alice' replied, gratefully taking the glass. "What is it?"

"Apple juice," the witch smiled malevolently.

'Alice' downed the drink in one gulp, gasped and coughed violently.

"Ban!" Paul scolded.

"I… think… this juice… spoiled…" Ginji sputtered between coughs.

"Dummy! That was tequila," Paul sighed loudly.

Ginji doubled over. "Ban-chaaan! You tricked me!"

"It's for your own good." Ban had taken the wicked witch disguise a little too much to heart. "You've been way too nervous. This will help you chill out."

"Way too nervous, huh? Well, by the time that drink kicks in, he'll be way too wasted." Paul slapped his palm to his forehead. "Or have you forgotten your partner hasn't eaten anything in two days?"

Ban was speechless. One could almost see the "uh-oh" thought bubble over his wigged-out head.

"Natsumi-chan, you fed Ginji today, haven't you?" He crossed his fingers.

She shook her head. "Nope." Then brightly, she added, "But maybe later. My dad and I are having sukiyaki for dinner at home. I'll save some for you guys when you get back, okay? I'll wait for you."

"Sukiyaki… Meat…" Ginji drooled and grinned ridiculously. The tequila was acting faster than expected. He took Natsumi's hand.

"You're the nicest girl ever," he drawled. "I think I –"

Ginji was interrupted by short, hard slaps to the face.

"Look alive, will 'ya?" Ban yelled as he pulled Ginji by the dress collar." Come. We've got to leave now."

As they headed out the door, Natsumi called out to them.

"Ban-san! Gin-chan!"

Simultaneously, the Get Backers turned. _Flash._

"Natsumi!" Ban roared. _Another flash._

"Delete that picture at once!" he demanded, coming after her.

Natsumi hid her cellphone-camera inside her apron and ducked behind the counter with Paul.

"Don't you want a memento of this job?" she chuckled.

"Hey, I know. Let's upload it into the computer," Paul suggested with a diabolic grin.

"Paul! You sonofa-"

"Just a little insurance, that's all."

"Bullshit! That's blackmail!"

"Tomato. To-mah-to."

"Tch!" Ban pointed an accusing finger at the café owner. "I'm getting your money, so don't you dare show those pictures to anyone, got that?"

He turned on his heels and stormed out of the Honky Tonk with Ginji in tow, slamming the door behind him.

---

"Hehe. It's raining pebbles." Ginji laughed childishly as he held out his hand in the pouring rock 'shower'.

"Why? Why? Why?" Ban wailed as they huddled under the Honky Tonk's overhead awning. Ban's avian nemesis had enlisted a battalion of birds to strafe him. Apparently, not even being disguised as a female had the birds fooled.

After a few seconds of bombardment, there was a lull in the attack. Ban took the opportunity to stride into the middle of the street next to his Ladybug.

"That's it, you crazy sparrow!" He shouted up at the dusky sky with his arms extended in a challenge.

"This load of crap ends right now! Take your best shot! Whatever happens, we call it quits, you hear me?"

Ban stood looking like a shadowy spectre of death in the middle of the road, waiting for the inevitable bomb. Suddenly, a rock the size of a golf ball whizzed past his head and landed with a heavy thud close to his feet.

Ban picked up the rock and smirked triumphantly.

"Hah! You missed, pea-brain!" he cackled. "Now have a taste of your own medicine!"

As Paul and Natsumi joined Ginji at the door to see what the commotion was all about, Ban threw the rock back towards the twilight with the force of his 200kg Snake Bite. Satisfied, he brushed the dirt off his hands and turned to the group.

"Let's go Ginji. I won! This battle is mine – "

_CRRA-AACK!_

Gravity brought the rock right smack dab in the middle of the Ladybug's windshield.

---

That summer weekend's night in Shibuya was heavy with the visions, sounds and smells that came with the decadence and hedonism of youth gone wild. Out of school and running out of time, there were taboos to break, bizarre rites of passage to experience, and for those high school girls for whom summer meant a suspension in allowance – a lot of money to be made.

The Get Backers had just entered this alien world of meaningless excess. While Ban and Ginji had driven through the streets of Shibuya-ku countless times before, never had they any excuse to walk amongst its carefree, prodigal denizens of the night.

This was unfamiliar territory, and no matter how worldly and well-informed he was, Ban couldn't help but feel somewhat unprepared.

And dressing in drag didn't help at all.

Ban still felt the infuriating boiling of his blood and the incessant _ka-ching_, _ka-ching_ of cash registers ringing in his ears. He already calculated losing most of his share of the job's down-payment and was hoping to the money gods that Kojio would be carrying a heck of a wad of cash on him.

Because the Evil Eye wouldn't be enough payment for all the trouble the pervert was now putting him through.

Leaving the damaged Ladybug in an alleyway far from the flashing neon lights, the partners knew they were approaching _Dogenzaka_ (1) – with its myriad of dance clubs, bars and 'love hotels' – when they met up with throngs of people headed the same way.

Ban was slightly relieved. Except for looking too tall for average Japanese girls, he and Ginji hardly stood out in the thick crowd of couples in heat, bar-hopping _kogals_, _enjo kosai_ girls waiting for the night's sugar daddy, and all sorts of weirdos, punks and repressed white collars searching for their idea of the perfect good time.

Not that it stopped them from getting their share of cat-calls from pimply-faced teenage boys who didn't know better.

_Maybe it's the walk_, Ban realized self-consciously. The tight skirt forced him into a hip-swaying gait; taking small, measured steps that made the flared skirt hem swish flirtily around his feet.

_Crap, I even move like Akabane,_ he cringed.

Meanwhile, Ginji really did look like an innocent Alice trapped in a libertine version of Wonderland. Light-headed from the shot of alcohol he downed earlier, Ginji's eyes darted everywhere, taking in the assault of exotic sights that held him in a trance.

"Stop clinging to me like that," Ban ordered irritably while trying to pry both of Ginji's hands from his right arm.

"I feel dizzy," he complained. " – And I can't walk on these shoes. This is all your fault. This plan, your car. We made Natsumi-chan cry… Your fault."

Ban narrowed his eyes at Ginji's sudden outpour of candor. Booze always did that to him.

"Ohhh… So we're playing the honesty game now, huh? Ok, then. My turn. What did you do to Natsumi in the backroom? She came out with her hair all messed up, and you know her hair is never out of that ponytail."

"I didn't do anything," Ginji blushed. "She just fell."

"And?" Ban pressed on.

"- And I… I sort of fell on her."

"And?"

"Nothing! Nothing happened!" Ginji exclaimed hotly.

Ban clucked his tongue. "Eh, Ginji. You sound as though you regret nothing happened."

The blond Get Backer was silent as his fingers dug deeper into Ban's leather-clad arm.

"I can't say I blame you, though," he continued thoughtfully. "Natsumi's a beautiful, vivacious girl _and_ a great cook. Who'd refuse that?"

"It's not about that at all. It's – " Ginji froze in his tracks, stopping Ban in the middle of the sidewalk. "Wait. What do you mean by 'You don't blame me'?"

"Aw, geez…" Ban sighed with the impatience of a grownup explaining the ways of the world to a small child. "So you like Natsumi. Deal with it!"

Puzzled, Ginji backed into the window of the sex shop they were standing in front of. "And you're not angry?"

"Why would I?"

"I don't know. Just as I was about to – " Ginji could still feel the fiery charge between him and Natsumi as they closed their eyes. So intense was the feeling that, in retrospect, Ginji couldn't be certain if, in fact, he had not actually kissed her.

" – you screamed from the bathroom."

Ban boxed Ginji's ear. "Man, are you deaf? I screamed because I thought I looked like Akabane's twin sister!" he yelled.

"There, I said it! Now quit moping around. You'll get your chance with Natsumi. You spend most of your time with her anyway."

As people stared at how that 'witch' roughhoused and shouted at the poor blonde 'girl', Ban took Ginji's arm and started off again at a quickened pace.

Despite truthfully claiming he wasn't angry in any way, Ban acknowledged a wee bit of jealousy rearing itself in him – whether of Ginji or Natsumi, he wasn't quite sure.

"Ban-chan," Ginji's voice trembled as he was being dragged towards the entrance of 'Dolce Vita'. "Akabane-san has a twin sister?"

---

'Dolce Vita' was Shibuya's newest and trendiest club. Famous for its weekend Ladies Nights that offered free entrance to girls in costume, the place was always packed to the rafters with outrageously – and skimpily - dressed nubile nymphets. And where they were, so, too were the men who kept the place running – the _hentais_, the frustrated middle-aged suits and fetishists of all proclivities. They had only three things in mind. To ogle, to grope, and to get lucky.

"At least Kojio was thoughtful enough to meet at a club with no entrance fee. Fortunately for us, we're ladies and we're in costume," Ban snorted wryly.

The Get Backers stood before the unusually spacious club with its mirrored plate glass exterior and minimalist sign. As giddy teenagers and wary office workers with backs hunched and heads bowed passed them by, Ban took Ginji aside to go over their plan, which – typically – wasn't much.

"Kojio will probably call to let us know he's here. But keep an eye out for him just in case," Ban reminded.

" – No indiscriminate use of your electricity."

Ginji nodded.

" – And don't even think of transforming into that runt creature - " he warned, referring to chibi-Ginji. "You running around like that in a room full of girls is a disaster waiting to happen."

"Remember, I'm Midori…"

"Midori," Ginji repeated dully.

"And you're – " Thinking hard, Ban's eyes looked up. " – Kazuki."

"I'm Kazu-chan?"

"Right. Under the circumstances, it's quite fitting."

"Ginji stroked the strands of his wig. "But if I'm playing Kazu-chan, shouldn't I have bells in my hair?"

Ban realized the tequila had already dissolved some of the few remaining brain cells in Ginji's head.

"No, dork! You're playing 'Alice'. But your name is Kazuki."

Before Ginji could launch into a whole new line of inquiry, Ban shoved him towards the 'Dolce Vita' entrance. "Never mind. Just try not to say too much to anyone, okay?"

Inside, Ban and Ginji, or rather, 'Midori' and 'Kazuki' – faced the scrutiny of the stern, Frau Farbissina-like receptionist.

"Is there a problem?" Ban demanded bitchily with arms akimbo. He used a weird, scratchy high-pitched voice that was supposed to pass for female. Ginji thought he sounded like a cat in rut.

"Have you been here before?" Frau Farbissina wrinkled her uni-brow. "You two look familiar."

"We're models. Maybe you've seen us in a magazine or two?" came the snotty reply. Ban put his palms on the reception counter, leaned his head towards the woman and blazed his serpentine eyes at her. "You don't want this fine establishment dissed in tomorrow's society pages, do you now?"

As though spellbound, the Frau waved them through. With his nose high up in the air, Ban flipped his straight black hair dramatically and lead his partner to the upholstered interior doors of the hall.

"You used the Jagan on her?"

"Of course not, you dope," Ban grinned complacently as he pulled the doors open. "That… was all captivating, womanly charm."

As the Get Backers entered, they were practically blown back by the pounding techno music and the miles and miles of mirrors everywhere, making the club look like a sprawling orgy of ripe, sassy young bodies. The effect was exaggerated by the pinkish-orange ambient lighting that cast a flattering glow on everyone and everything.

Like a little kid, Ginji's eyes were drawn to the large, colourful, round Chinese lanterns that hung on the high ceilings. To him, they looked like giant gumballs.

Meanwhile, Ban was quite offended by the mirrors. Aside from making it difficult to spot anyone at once, he half-expected that jackass bar host Kagami Kyoji to materialize and offer him a welcome drink mixed with diamond dust.

As Ban and Ginji took to the floor, the teenage crowd – made up of an assortment of storybook characters, superheroes, furry animals, cosplay-crazy _otakus_ and girls looking for an excuse to dress up like sluts – opened a path for them, mostly because they earned second glances due to their willowy height and striking looks.

_So far, so good._ Ban couldn't help but smile. Akabane in drag or not, he could still work it.

"I'll hang out here and watch the main entrance," he said as they reached the bar. "You go over to that area and scope out the side door."

Ginji peered over the bobble of heads towards a darker section of the club where more secluded booths and tables were located.

"Mm," he acknowledged.

Ban put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Remember what I told you."

"Got it, Ban-chan." Ginji smiled and started to walk to his designated spot in careful strides, slightly extending his arms to the side for balance.

---

It was a few minutes before eight and still no sign of Kojio. Ginji had been stationed for awhile at his dark little corner near the restrooms and he was beginning to feel the rumble in his tummy again.

Even though his head spun, at least the alcohol had made him forget his hunger. Now, all he could think about was Natsumi's sukiyaki, and how it – she – would be waiting for him when they got back from the job. Ginji sighed wistfully.

Suddenly, from out of the darkness, he felt something heavy and soft slide down his hair. Making a face, Ginji's hand went to the back of his head and found himself touching fur.

"Hello, Alice. Want to go down the rabbit hole with me?" a voice chuckled.

Ginji slowly turned to meet the muffled voice that came out of nowhere. To his horror, he was face-to-face with a huge, white, buck-toothed bunny.

"I can show you the real 'wonderland', Alice dear..."

"Wa-wa-waah!" Ginji jumped in fright, instinctively shooting short blasts of electricity around himself. He backed out carefully in the opposite direction.

"Oi! I didn't mean to scare you," the voice instantly changed tone from slimy to almost normal. "I just want to ta – "

The rabbit waved a big, hairy paw. Then he sniffed the acrid smell of burning polyester and noticed his non-flame retardant costume was smoking.

"Shit! Fuck! I'm on fire!" the white rabbit screamed and bolted for the men's room. Apparently, no one taught him to stop, drop and roll.

"Ban-chaaan!" Ginji cried, trying not to turn chibi. He had already broken one of Ban's rules. Now, he was about to break another as he bumbled along, looking for his partner. Not looking where he was going, he ran over a tiny girl in an even tinier sailor_ fuku_.

"Ow!" The bleached-blonde screeched as she landed on her bottom.

Ginji snapped out of his panic as soon as he realized what he had done. He held out a hand to the fallen lass.

"I'm so sorry. Are you hurt?"

"Rubbing her shapely posterior (Ginji wasn't that oblivious, tipsy or not), the girl, who was dressed as 'Sailor Moon', accepted his assist. "I'm fine. Next time, watch where you're going." Sailor Moon glanced up at Ginji and stared at him for a few seconds. Her face lit up.

"Your voice… You're a boy, aren't you?" she animatedly exclaimed.

"Uh… well…"

"This is great! We don't see your kind often," the teen gleefully continued. "You're one of the few cross-dressers to get by that Nazi receptionist cow. No wonder, since you're the prettiest one yet!"

Sailor Moon caught her breath. "What's your name?"

"Er… Kaz … Kazuki," Ginji stammered.

"Nice to meet you, Kazuki-san. I'm Maya." She gripped his hand and pulled him away.

Ginji reluctantly went with his 'kidnapper'. Better her than that creepy white rabbit.

---

_"…Tonight's 'Dolce Vita' Sweetheart winner will receive a 25,000 cash prize. Those young ladies who wish to join the contest, please register your names with the emcee…"_ the DJ announced.

Ban considered this for a millisecond. After all, he had to replace his whole freakin' windshield. _Hmmm… 25,000? Ick! No! No! Not that desperate…_

He sat at the bar with legs crossed, elbows propped on the counter, eyes fixed on the club's doors, waiting for Kojio to appear.

"Why, hey there, gorgeous," a slick male voice slathered on so smoothly, it nearly gave Ban goosebumps.

He smiled wickedly. Finally, he would get to test his feminine wiles on some unsuspecting windbag. And boy, was he going to make that guy fall hard. More so, if the guy looked just like he sounded…

Ban twirled a strand of his hair in his finger and batted his eyelashes. Turning, he sing-songed,

"Hell -o…oh…"

Instead of the Latin Lothario he had been expecting to make fall under his spell, Ban's wooer was a – banana.

A giant yellow one. Who was accompanied by Astroboy – in indecently microscopic black bike shorts, red boots, green belt, and nothing much else.

_What the…_

"What's a stunner like you hanging out at the bar alone? Can I buy you a drink?" the banana smoothie drawled.

"Ugh." Ban looked at the yellow cretin with contempt. Honestly, he wanted a drink _badly, _as in _right now_. But he had so lost interest in proving his womanhood to these mega-geeks.

"Sorry, but I don't go out with fruits. Soft ones, at that," he sniffed, turning his head away.

"Wah… So cold…" Astro-nerd shivered. Considering he was wearing practically nothing, Ban wasn't surprised.

"Shoo! Before I put a curse on you," Ban said icily.

The banana frowned. "Underneath this skin is a great guy. You'll regret not wanting to know more of me."

"Blech! Like I would actually peel that costume off you!" Ban turned his back and the two muttered colourful obscenities as they hot-footed it away.

"Somebody kill me now_…_ This is such a friggin' freak show," he mumbled to himself.

Settling down, he returned to scanning for Kojio. But he was finding it hard not to be distracted by every pretty face and pert ass that came his way.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ban espied the cute girl with black pixie-cut hair who sat next to him and ordered a cocktail. She kind of reminded him of Himiko.

"A strawberry margarita, please."

Ban snorted. She didn't look like she'd even been weaned off strawberry milk.

He noticed she was wearing a gauzy lavender fairy costume with wings that sparkled in the club lights. What really drew his attention, though, were her little ruffled bloomers that peeked under her tutu.

Pixie girl turned her head coolly towards the Get Backer. "You look familiar. Are you someone famous?"

"Maybe," Ban flirted in his high-pitched croak. Despite his immense self-satisfaction, he tried to sound nonchalant. _Another potential member of the Mido Ban-sama fan club hehe._

"Yes, you are. I know you from somewhere…" The girl concentrated hard on his face. Suddenly she had her Eureka moment.

"Oh my gosh!" She jumped in her seat. "You're 'Sadako' from 'Ringu'!" (2)

Ban raised an eyebrow. A very high one. _"Excuse me?"_

Pixie waved her confetti-filled magic wand at him, scattering glitter all over his dress. "You don't have to hide it. The hair. Those eyes… You're that actress…"

_Those eyes?_ Sure, Ban had the Jagan, but to have it confused for fish eyes, that was just ridiculous.

"I'm not – "

"Don't worry. I won't tell the tabloids." She whipped out her mobile phone. "Can you really do that scary, jerky walk?"

"Listen…"

"Wait till my friends hear about this!" The teen eagerly dialed her phone.

"For the last time, I'M NOT SADAKO!" Ban shouted in his normal voice. Standing up, he 'accidentally' knocked over the strawberry margarita, spilling it all over the girl's dress. With a gasp, she jumped off her seat.

"Ack! This is never coming out," Pixie wailed, trying to brush off the stain from her skirt. Giving up, she glared demonically at Ban.

"I saw how you were looking at me, you lesbian pervert! I'm never watching any of your movies ever again!"

With that, the incensed fairy and her saucy little bloomers stormed off.

_What the fuck was that all about?_ Ban wrinkled his nose in disgust.

---

On the other side of the club, Ginji was being held hostage by Sailor Moon and her Sailor _senshi _(3). Sitting frozen in the captain's chair as his 'crew' adulated over him around the table, he was bombarded with cheerful queries and plied with glasses of a fizzy, gold drink.

Remembering Ban's little ruse with the tequila, Ginji was wary about gulping down the beverage offered to him. But when he took a sip, he was pleasantly surprised that it tasted nice and sweet – like soda.

And because anything sweet was just about his most favorite thing in the world, he happily drank a glass. And another… And another.

"You can have the whole thing," the violet-haired scout gaily pushed the champagne bottle towards Ginji. He couldn't remember if she called herself 'Sailor Jupiter' or 'Sailor Mars'. Whatever. She was cute.

"It was compliments of the bar, but we don't drink the stuff."

"Thanks!" He hiccupped as he grabbed the half-empty bottle. Ginji decided these cartoon characters were cool. Sort of like having six Natsumi-chans around him.

"Kazuki-san?" Maya, the Sailor Moon asked. "Are you gay or do you just like dressing as a girl?"

"Kazu-chan?" Ginji blinked. _Is Kazu-chan gay?_ _How come I don't know the answer to that question?_

"Oh, wait. You mean me?" he swayed slightly, his deep velvet brown eyes becoming glassy. "No. Nooo… Um, at least I don't think so."

The green-haired Sailor Neptune swooned. "So, do you have a girlfriend?" Does she, you know, approve of your cross-dressing?"

"No girlfriend, _hic!_" Ginji blushed as he poured himself another drink. _Hehe. Girlfriend. Natsumi-chan. She approves. She put me in this dress. Raitei should've thanked her – a lot. Stupid Ban-chan!_

The girls giggled wildly and whispered wildly among themselves. After a few seconds, their putative leader, Maya, spoke up for the gang.

"Kazuki-san, do you mind us asking if we can see you without – " More giggles. " - your wig? That is a wig, isn't it?"

"We'd love to see what you look like as a regular guy," the blue-haired sailor scout piped in.

"Yeah!" The others chorused excitedly.

Ginji looked at the hopeful girls and regarded their curious request. Maybe it was because he was already quite soused, or more likely, he was genuinely having fun with this group of friends, but Ginji obliged.

"Sure. What the heck. But quickly now."

The teenagers stood up and clamored around Ginji in a frenzy. Cordoning him off from view, they held their breaths as he bowed his head and removed the wig.

With his blond mop adorably disheveled, Ginji looked up at the six bedazzled faces with large, false-eyelashed eyes and a bashful smile.

"_Hic! Hic!_ So?" he asked.

The sharp, ear-piercing squeals from their table elicited startled stares and gasps from the surrounding crowd.

"Shhh!" Ginji chuckled as he promptly put the hairpiece back on, albeit crookedly.

"You're such a handsome boy, Kazuki, " Sailor Venus raved.

"Kazuki? No, it's Ginji. Amano Ginji." He was delirious in the claustrophobic trap of wild-eyed girls as they cornered him inch by feverish inch..

"Hey. What are you girls do – ahhhhh…"

---

After his altercation with that 'Sadako'-loving fairy freak, Ban trudged over to the corner of the bar nearest the entrance.

_Godammit!_ This job was bugging the hell out of him. In his dozen odd years off possessing both the Jagan and Snake Bite, never was he so compelled to use both at the same time and on so many annoying people. – until now.

And he hadn't even really started the mission yet.

Ban grabbed a glass of leftover vodka tonic someone had left and chugged it fast. Ruefully, he thought, that maybe, women were just born to give him a hard time.

But he wasn't one to lose hope on things like girls, money, or a fight. Who knew? Maybe he'd have more luck with the next girl he laid eyes upon.

Searching the club's entry area, he immediately found a prospect. Despite the teeming crowd, the girl, no, _woman_ stood out. He noticed her straight, shiny brown hair and tall, elegant figure. Even from her partial profile, the exquisitely-sculpted oval face and graceful shoulders were clearly evident.

_Now, that's what I'm talking about,_ Ban thought.

The beauty floated her way down into the club and towards the bar. Finally, she provided him with a full view.

Turning her face slightly to the left, the woman seductively tucked a loose strand of long hair behind her right ear. As if in slow motion, Ban watched as her hand dropped down past her cheek… then her neck…

... eventually revealing the two distinct gold glints in her hair.

Ban threw up a little in his mouth. Literally.

* * *

I admit, this chapter is just pure insanity. Tell me what you think, please? Thanks a mil. Hope to see you next chapter!

**Next chapter: **Ginji alcohol electricity dance floor disco inferno! Ban and Kazuki use their ample treasury of feminine charms on a not-so-impressed Kojio.

**_(1) Dogenzaka - _**Entertainment strip in Shibuya catering to a more mature audience. Famous for its "Love Hotel Hill", discos and clandestine fetish clubs.

**_(2) "Ringu" : _**The original – and far better - Japanese version of the Hollywood movie "The Ring".

**_(3) senshi : _**Literally - soldier, scout


	7. With Strings Attached, Part 1

**"Sum of the Parts"**

**Disclaimer : **Still don't own and am 100 percent sure I never will (sigh).

**A.N. : ** This chapter kinda rambles on, so I divided it into two parts. One more thing. If you notice UST (unresolved sexual tension) between certain characters, then by all means, see it. Intentional or not, it's pretty harmless and doesn't detract from the fact that this fic is, and will remain, non-yaoi. Though, I'm not saying it's not going to get a little naughty in places (wink, wink). As always, please keep those reviews coming because I really do love to hear from you! Thanks for tuning in!

ENJOY!

* * *

**_Chapter 7 : With Strings Attached (Part 1)_**

Ginji left the Sailor Moon table with his wig in disarray and lipstick all over his face. What he did to deserve such rabid thanks from those cute girls was way beyond his comprehension. Did he get back something for them, he wondered?

Clutching a coaster written with the girls' phone numbers and addresses, Ginji began to feel the effects of the champagne hitting him instantly. Tipsy, he stumbled towards where he thought he left his post.

But if Ginji was directionally-challenged when sober, he was hopelessly lost now intoxicated.

"Ban-chaaan…" he sniveled while passing a bank of dining booths. Finding one that was empty, he collapsed into the bench and curled on his side on the plush cushion.

_Did I or did I not just give out my real name?_ Ginji tried hard to remember as he tightly shut his eyes in an attempt to stop the spinning in his head.

"Ban-chan's going to be so mad at me," he slurred.

---

_BLEARGH!_

Ban put a hand to his mouth, puffed out his cheeks and forced the vodka down his throat. Swiveling in his seat, he reached over the bar and with his hand, felt desperately for the spray dispenser of club soda.

_What the bloody hell is Thread Spool doing here?_ Ban thought madly as he pulled at the hose, threw his head back and shot a stream of seltzer into his mouth.

More importantly, why did he keep allowing himself to be fooled into thinking Kazuki was this, _this hot babe._ First, there was that time at the hot springs, and now –

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Ban threw the spray back and kicked the side of the bar. With his hands, he covered the sides of his face and hoped Kazuki wouldn't see him as he neared his position.

Everyone made space and turned their heads as the statuesque, long-haired _annaiya_ breezed through. Unknowingly passing the Get Backer just a few feet away, some sixth sense vibration made the cat bells in Kazuki's hair tinkle gently.

Making an abrupt stop, he doubled back and walked closer to the svelte, black-clad figure that slouched at the bar with her (or his) back to him. Following his highly inquisitive nature, Kazuki bent over and tried to catch the person's attention.

"Hello. Pardon me, I'm sorry to bother you but something tells me I know you from somewhere," he said in his usual genteel tone. Strangely, he made no attempt to make his voice sound more feminine.

The figure sighed, put his hands down and looked directly at the string-style master.

Despite the skillfully applied makeup, the long hair and the marked absence of purple glasses, the beautiful, penetrating, unnaturally blue eyes that stared right at him were unmistakably…

"Mido… Ban?" Kazuki gasped, one hand grasping the counter and the other flying to his lips.

"That was such a lame pick-up line Thread Spool," Ban taunted mischievously. "If you want to date me that badly you have to do better than that."

"But wha – why?..."

"For the mission, dum-dum! Why _else_ would I be wearing this stupid outfit?" he snapped.

Smirking, he added, "Unlike you, I suppose. I see you've decided to use your cross-dressing skills to heh – supplement your income. Does the Fuchouin School approve of your secret life?"

Kazuki was having a hard time keeping his temper in check. Right now, he wanted to wind his koto strings around that arrogant jerk and –

"It's not what you think! I'm here to follow a lead."

"Yeah, right," Ban snorted. "Dressed like that?"

In reality, Ban hadn't really taken his eyes off Kazuki since he appeared in front of him. Except for a red chiffon veil and one braided pigtail where he tied his bells, Kazuki wore his hair loose and unbound down his back. His delicate face was similarly unadorned, with only a touch of blush, brown eyeshadow and shiny red lipstick.

As for a costume, he had on a midriff-baring gypsy belly dancer's outfit made up of a sequined red tank top overlaid with a sheer silk orange long-sleeved beaded blouse that fell off one shoulder. He also wore matching red and orange dyed wide-leg harem pants that were topped with a hip-belt made with a sparkling curtain of ruby crystals.

It nauseated Ban to confess he found Kazuki, looking the way he did – attractive, to say the least.

"What do you mean 'dressed like that'?"

"Oh nothing," the Get Backer shrugged defensively. "Just that seeing how you sling your string around, you're better off disguised as 'Spider-Man'. Er… woman."

The Fuchouin heir frowned with a slight blush staining his cheeks. "I didn't want to pay the club's entrance fee. And since I usually pass for female – " Kazuki paused. _Shoot! I don't owe this guy an explanation!_

"Anyway, I'm sure we both had the same idea." He bit his lip. "By the way, where's Ginji-san?"

"He's around," Ban said without elaborating.

Kazuki didn't push further. Frankly, he didn't want his former Thunder Emperor to see him, one of the Four Kings, dressed like a harem girl.

"Say, are you wearing a bra underneath that thing? 'Cause mine is killing me…" Ban reached out his hand to touch Kazuki's suspicious-looking chest.

"Stop it!" he whispered fiercely as he slapped Ban's wayward hand away. "Quit making fun of me and my school!"

The witch laughed.

Kazuki began to reach for one of the bells in his hair, but then thought better of it and dropped his hand. He leaned on the bar and crossed his arms.

"Look, I'll be out of your way. I just need to find a man named Kojio." He gazed up at the club's clock. It was past eight-thirty. "He was supposed to be here around eight."

Ban squinted his eyes and scowled. "Kojio? Kojio Kiyoshi? Hey! That's our man! How do you know about him?"

"Tsk. Tsk. You forget who I am," Kazuki coolly replied. Suddenly, he turned his head and looked down on Ban with a knowing smile.

"Oh, I get it. You're the _enjo kosai_ girl Kojio's arranged to meet, huh?"

"That's right. I'm the prostitute!" Ban hissed, a little too loudly. People nearby glanced their way in curious interest.

Waving his hand, he shooed his rival away. "So, if you'll just move along now and find your own old coot to bother, I'd appreciate it."

Kazuki sat down and confronted Ban eye-to-eye. "I don't believe this!" he complained. "I thought we agreed… no… _you decided_, 'finders, keepers'?"

"Yeah. We found Kojio first, so we're keeping him." Ban leaned closer and shook a balled fist inches from Kazuki's face. He snarled. "So, butt out!"

Kazuki gripped Ban's fist to keep it from coming nearer. "Well, I don't see Kojio anywhere. So, N-O. No!"

"You wanna fight for him?"

The bartender, who had taken a depraved interest in the two, had been snooping in on their conversation.

With a lurid grin he said, "You two beauties should be taking your aggressions out in the bedroom, not here. Kiss and make up already."

The retrieval experts quickly pulled away from each other and shot the bartender wild-eyed looks.

"Shut up!" they shouted.

Next thing the nosy man realized, he had a gag of wound string around his mouth. Horrified, he ran away.

"He thought we were lesbians?" Kazuki gaped incredulously.

"That's the second time this hour I've been called that," Ban huffed. He glowered forbiddingly at the informant.

"Hmph! I guess there's no stopping you then. But you're wasting your time. Kojio's not even expecting you."

Kazuki entwined his long, graceful fingers together. "Oh, I have my ways. Watch me," he replied confidently.

I'll watch you, all right," Ban snorted. _In more ways than one,_ the voice of Aesclepius came out of nowhere. _Thwack!_ _Shut up! Shut up!_ Ban's super-ego battled the _hentai _snake inside his head.

"You wanted this job to be a race, so race we shall," Kazuki announced with a determined gleam in his chocolate-brown eyes.

"Tch. And may the best 'woman' win," the Get Backer countered surreptitiously. He got off his seat and plodded off.

"I'm going after Ginji. Then we'll see who's better at weeding out information."

Passing each other, they exchanged plastic smiles.

---

Ginji remained crashed on the cushy bench – hungry, lost, and hopelessly drunk. Trying to keep his eyes open, he focused on the floor under the table.

To his immense joy, he spotted a stray piece of fried dumpling in the corner.

"Food!" Ginji exclaimed hoarsely while drooling. Still lying down, he tried to reach for it with his arm. When that didn't work, he unthinkingly turned into his chibi form and crawled under.

Munching happily, Ginji didn't notice the scramble of feet and legs that suddenly threatened to trap him in.

"Uh-oh."

His puny figure tried to escape by weaving through the forest of limbs.

"Eeek! There's a rat on my foot!" The _kogal_ dressed as Tomb Raider Lara Croft screamed.

"Kill it! Kill it!"

Her companions violently kicked, stomped and screamed after her. When it was all over, chibi-Ginji lay nearly unconscious on the floor.

Standing on the benches, the group cautiously peered underneath.

"Oh. It's just a doll someone left," the girl costumed like an 80's-era Madonna said. "What's it doing under the table?"

Lara Croft first poked at Ginji with her foot, then picked him up and held him high.

"_Kawaii!_" She brushed Ginji off and hugged him close, squashing his chibi head into her Lara Croft-esque bosom, which was to say, quite ample.

"Strange. It almost feels alive."

"Oooh… Can I touch it?" one of the girls asked.

"Excuse me, but I believe that's my doll you're holding," a grating screechy voice said.

Ban appeared ominously wraith-like before the girls as he demanded for his slowly suffocating partner.

Lara Croft squeezed chibi-Ginji tighter and suspiciously sized-up the dark figure. Jumping from her perch on the bench, the tall, buff amazon stood face-to-face with him.

"I suppose you're going to say this is your voodoo doll, huh, witch? How do I know it's yours?"

"You don't," Ban sneered. "Just give it to me."

"No way! I refuse," she threatened menacingly. "Finders, keepers."

He cursed. This whole 'finders, keepers' business was coming back to bite him in the ass.

"Then I'll have to take it back!" Ban grabbed Ginji by the head and pulled him off her chest.

"Let go, bitch!" Lara Croft shouted.

"Who you calling 'bitch', you skank 'ho!" Ban yelled back. Watching Himiko and Hevn's many PMS-fueled cat-fights evidently had its fringe benefits.

With one last jerk, Ban ripped his friend out of the girl's arms.

"Give it back, slut!" Lara Croft screamed.

"Ban-chan… What happened?" Chibi-Ginji groggily mumbled and flailed as they stalked off.

The kogals were dumbfounded.

"It… It moved…"

"A-a-and talked…"

Their shrieks could be heard throughout the club.

Ban carried his ragamuffin partner in a headlock. Rapping the top of his skull with his knuckles, Ban lashed out angrily.

"Didn't I tell you not to turn into this _tare_ thing?"

"Sorry, Ban-chan. I'm sorry. I think I broke all your rules."

"All of them?" Ban's hold grew tighter.

Ginji coughed and sputtered. "I – gah! – left my post, and I – ack! – told those girls my real name, and… and…"

"And?"

"I electrocuted a bunny rabbit."

"What?" Ban stopped near the kitchens, quickly hid Ginji from view and let him revert back to his full form.

"He scared me. I think he caught on fire," he whimpered guiltily while keeping his head down.

Ban laughed. "You got assaulted by a _fur-vert_?"

"It's not funny," Ginji pouted, finally meeting his partner's gaze.

The brunette rolled his eyes and sighed. How could he possibly stay mad at that face? That kicked-puppy face with the huge remorseful eyes, smeared lipstick, tangled hair and lip imprints on his cheeks and forehead.

"Eh, Ginji. Looks like the rabbit wasn't the only one who molested you," Ban lifted Ginji's chin with his hand and examined him over.

"The girls who gave me drinks… They kept – kissing me," he blushed profusely.

Ban's eyes radiated with envy. "Were they nice?"

"Mm."

"Pretty?"

"Aa. They gave me their phone numbers and e-mail addresses." Ginji produced the coaster.

"Then all is forgiven. I'll take that." Ban grabbed the piece of cardboard and tucked it somewhere within his leather top.

"Ban-chan! That's mine!"

"What? Natsumi's not enough for you?" He whined pathetically. "Give me a break, will 'ya? I just got hit on by a fucking banana, for Pete's sake!" Ban put an arm around Ginji's shoulders and guided him towards the bar.

"You know what's weird? Chicks are kissing you, smothering you with their breasts and letting you hide under their skirts."

"Apparently, you're a bigger heartthrob dressed as a girl than you ever were dressed as a guy. How screwed up is that?"

Ban shook his head in awe. The wonders of Ginji's magnetism would never cease to amaze him.

---

"See that woman sitting at the bar?" Ban pointed Ginji over to Kazuki, who was now surrounded by a group of young business executives.

Ban seethed. _Why is Thread Spool attracting all the decent guys while I get all the geeks?_

"Want to meet her?"

"Would I?" Ginji blinked rapidly.

Kazuki spotted Ban, excused himself from his suitors and drifted towards the Get Backer's place near the stairs of the club's balcony.

"Did you find Gin – " He broke off in mid-sentence and stepped back in shock. "-ji?"

"Waah… So pretty…" Ginji uttered liltingly with a bewitched smile.

"Ginji-san." Kazuki's lip quivered.

How could the mighty Volts have ended up like this – with him, the sole Fuchouin heir, looking like an 'Arabian Nights' concubine, and the fearsome Raitei dressed as a pre-pubescent girl?

The string master thanked heaven Shido wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this. Because if the Beast Master saw both him and Ginji the way they were now, who knew what horrid, probably extinct, creature he would transform into.

Kazuki felt he could just cry.

"What's with the face, Thread Head?" Ban fakely enthused. Here we are, three gorgeous girls on a night out ready to par-_taay, _ and you look like you're at a funeral."

"Oh, it's you, Kazu – _burrrp _– chan!" Ginji belched as he lunged at his former Volts lieutenant. The elevator finally reached the top floor.

Kazuki caught Ginji in his arms. "Kazu-chan… You smell nice. Like flowers, and… and… like… cookies!"

"Ginji-san, you're – drunk." His eye twitched as he propped the blond's head on his shoulder. He shot Ban a dirty look.

"Hey. I had nothing to do with that." He put up his hands in mock surrender.

"That's exactly my point," Kazuki replied harshly. "You did nothing."

Ginji lifted his head drowsily and smiled. "You're also in a dress Kazu-chan? Are you going to help us with the job?"

"He's not going to help us with anything!" Ban shouted, hooking his fingers into Ginji's apron and pulling him back to his side.

The sloshed Get Backer stood helplessly confused as he watched his two friends glower at each other. Suddenly, he crouched and drew his thighs tightly closed.

"Ehm… I think I need to go to the bathroom," Ginji squeaked as he gripped his skirt down.

"What?" Ban asked without taking Kazuki out of his sight.

"P-p-p-eee…"

"Good grief!" Kazuki exclaimed exasperatingly, eyes growing wide with alarm. ""I'll take him."

He took Ginji by the shoulders, blew past the brunette bastard and maneuvered through the thick crowd.

Kazuki gritted his teeth furiously. _This never would've happened in Mugenjou. Never, ever, ever…ever._ He was so angry, he was stunned to find himself talking like a spoiled eight-year-old inside his head.

Reaching the restrooms, he faced a dilemma.

Ladies or gents?

Kazuki hesitated in the corridor, standing before the two dreaded doors. Blocking Ginji behind him with his arms, he decided to think it through.

He never had a problem using the public loo he was _supposed_ to use – the rude, bug-eyed jerks that stood beside him in the urinals be damned.

But he and Ginji were in women's clothes at the moment, and that put a whole new spin on Kazuki's bathroom politics.

"I need to go _nooow_…" Ginji whined miserably as he hopped on his chunky heels.

"Shush! Wait. I'm still thinking."

If they used the men's room, that would, technically, be the correct choice. But going in the way they were dressed now, he and Ginji would be taken for transvestites – which they weren't.

Kazuki frowned.

If they used the ladies' room, however, they would probably get away with it. But on principle, it would be like they were denying their very anatomy, their masculinity, their –

Ginji hurriedly went around Kazuki's outstretched arms and made the wisest choice he could make. He barged into the door that was closest – the ladies' room.

Kazuki smiled weakly. _Well, I did vow to follow Raitei's every decision._ He followed Ginji in.

To his horror, Kazuki found Ginji hiking up his skirt next to the wash basin.

As a couple of girls watched in astonishment, Kazuki rushed over and whispered sharply. "No! No! Not there!"

He pulled Ginji off the sink and gently shoved him into an empty stall. Closing the door behind him, the _annaiya_ sheepishly apologized to the girls.

"She had six shots of vodka."

"Ohhh…" The girls nodded sympathetically and left.

Kazuki wiped the beads of sweat off his brow, leaned on the stall's door and exhaled a sigh of relief. As he waited for Ginji to finish, he wistfully mused.

"Your partner… He makes me so mad sometimes. I wonder how he manages to take care of you – if at all."

"You're always hungry, and broke, and in danger…" Outright, Kazuki's annoyed tone softened in sudden realization.

"But you've never been – happier."

"What's his secret, Ginji-san? He's greedy, cocky and hot-tempered. Yet at the same time, he's the smartest, most clever man I know…"

Kazuki trailed off. He knew he had said too much. But his curiosity about the dark, enigmatic Get Backer was – among a few others – one he had to satiate.

If the Thunder Emperor, whom a whole city had been devoted to, had in turn devoted himself to this one man, what did that make him?

_Who are you, Mido Ban?_

Kazuki's train of thought was broken by the sound of a flush. Ginji poked his head out.

"Ban-chan is hard to understand. But he understands all of us." In his drunkenness, he had sounded wise. Ginji staggered to the sink to wash his hands.

"Ban-chan… He doesn't mean what he says about you. He thinks you're – a lot of things."

Kazuki let this revelation sink in for a moment. He then shook his head and smiled, the hardness in his soulful eyes gone. Wetting a paper towel, he helped Ginji wipe off the lipstick off his face.

"I see you're a hit with the girls," he snickered.

"Natsumi-chan wanted to come with us." Ginji side-stepped the comment. "Of course, she can't. But I wish – " He looked at himself in the mirror.

"You know so much, Kazu-chan. Do you think she likes me?"

"Yes, Ginji-san. She does."

The string-wielder stared at his Emperor's reflection. The boy never really could see the vast wonders he possessed within. Amano Ginji with the brightest light in his eyes, the biggest smile to give, and a world's worth of kindness and love in his infinitely generous heart.

Happily, Ginji was beginning to get back some of that kindness and love for himself.

_This never would've happened in Mugenjou. Never, ever, ever…ever._

For that, Kazuki was glad. And thankful. To that snake man.

---

"Honestly. Do I look like Akabane in drag?"

"I beg your pardon?"

Ban, Ginji, and Kazuki sat on the stairs as hordes of people passed up and down between them. Ban was practically lounging on the steps, idly puffing out clouds of smoke in as many shapes as he could.

Kazuki sat daintily opposite him with an elbow on his knees and head cradled in his dexterous hand.

Ginji, meanwhile, embraced the banister, trying to snap out of his sozzled state.

"Jackal. Our favorite homicidal maniac," Ban badgered on. "Do you see the resemblance?"

Kazuki looked at him funny. "Well, now that you mention it…"

Ban shook Ginji's shoulder roughly. "What did I tell you? Even Thread Spool thinks so."

"Why? Is there something wrong with that?" The informant philosophized. "You know, if he would just go out in the sun more often, and maybe if he used some conditioner on his hair…" He shrugged. "Akabane could be a good-looking man, I suppose."

Ban sat up and scrunched up his face. "Did you just insult me by complimenting Akabane's looks?"

"Huh?"

"So you're saying I should be grateful I look like Jackal because, according to you, he's _sooo_ attractive," he griped petulantly.

"I said no such thing!" Kazuki exclaimed. Aghast, he leaned as far away as possible from the lunatic Get Backer.

"Why are you so obsessed with Akabane, anyway?"

"Because. I shouldn't look like him, dammit! I should look like Me! Get it? Me! Me! Me!"

All this talk about Akabane's so-called "attractiveness" was making Ginji sick to his stomach. He muttered. "Ban-chan's always like this when he's hungry."

"It better be." Kazuki glanced furtively at Ban, who was cursing under his breath. Whispering to Ginji, he added, "Because this whole Akabane-channeling thing is scaring me."

"Ban-chan. How much longer do we have to wait here?"

"For as long as it takes," he replied, instantaneously breaking out of his Dr. Jackal-induced delusions.

Kazuki struggled to read the club's wall clock through the pulsating disco lights. It was a few minutes past nine.

"Are you sure Kojio hasn't stood you up? He's awfully late."

"Absolutely. He was totally smitten with Midori –"

"Natsumi-chan," Ginji corrected.

"Whatever. Kojio wouldn't pass up a chance with her… Me," Ban reiterated confidently. He flicked his cigarette butt into an unwitting passer-by's drink.

"Besides, whatever happens, we're going to get back those parts, even if it means we have to hijack his plane tomorrow."

"I have no doubt," Kazuki said, deftly playing cat's cradle with his strings. He created a cute airplane figure which delighted Ginji to no end.

"Oi. And why are you so calm about all this?" Ban demanded. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like the thread's answer.

"Did you think I spent the whole afternoon choosing a costume for this gig? If you care to know, I've already recovered some of the missing robot parts. Five pairs of limbs, to be exact."

If there was such a thing as polite bragging, the string master had done so.

"Not bad for an _annaiya_, huh?"

Ginji turned to face his friend behind him. "Wow! Kazu-chan! You're done with the job? That's great!"

Ban was livid. "Tch! So what the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm just playing your game – with your rules," Kazuki winked. "Finders, keepers, remember?"

The dark-haired Get Backer punched his fist into the stair he was sitting on. One could hear the wood splintering underneath the carpet.

He desperately wanted to wring that long, pretty neck.

"Leave this job to us, or I'll – "

"Or you'll what?" Kazuki ranted incredulously. "Why do you insist on being such an asshole to us all the time? Shido, Emishi, and I – we have a right to make a living, too, you know."

"… What's your problem? Even if we're on your side, you still seem to have an on-going grudge against the Volts. Is it because we kept Ginji –"

The fire in Ban's eyes cooled. He was surprised Kazuki had used such strong language, at least strong for him.

"Don't fool yourself, Thread Spool. You overestimate my regard for your silly gang. I'm an asshole to you guys as much as I'm an asshole to everyone else."

Snidely, he continued. "But that grudge? That stays. You don't all try to kill me at one time or another and expect to get away with it."

Ban and Kazuki exchanged deliberative sideward glances as if studying the finer points of each other's psyche. Above the din of the club, the tense silence between the two agents was deafening.

"Ban-chan?" Kazu-chan?" Ginji implored with concern.

Kazuki broke first. Shaking his head, he chuckled, mostly at himself for sounding so foolish in front of this enigmatic, shrewd man.

"For the record, I've never tried to kill you," he confessed, dark eyes softening. "Not yet, anyway."

"Heh. I don't think we've even actually fought," Ban answered with a roguish smile. He paused.

"Not yet, anyway."

* * *

What you think? For the record, I'm not a _BanxKazuki_ shipper. But I've always found their mutual teasing quite interesting. And Ban's slight (misguided) attraction to Kazuki_ is_ part of canon so I've allowed myself to have some fun with it. Did I offend? No? Please tell me what you think. Thanks in advance! 

**Next chapter : **The elusive Kojio appears, FINALLY. Really! And poor Ginji…


	8. With Strings Attached, Part 2

**"Sum of the Parts"**

**Disclaimer : **Don't own the lovely Ban, Ginji and Kazuki. I do own the dirty old lech in this chapter, unfortunately.

**A.N. : **Berry long chapter, so again, I divided it. So this whole _"With Strings Attached"_ club sequence is now in 3 parts. Sorry,hehe. As for the Ban & Kazuki interaction, I tried to see how far I could run with it without entering yaoi territory. Hope I had it under control. :D For those of you who are wondering why I've heaped so much abuse on Ginji, I actually don't know why. I guess the adage is true. You really do hurt the ones you love, hee! As always, please keep those reviews coming because I really do love to hear from you! Thanks for tuning in!

ENJOY!

* * *

**_Chapter 8 : With Strings Attached (Part 2)_**

Kazuki heard a faint ringing / buzzing sound coming from Ban's chest.

Startled, Ban jumped slightly. "Shit! I forgot I turned on the vibration alert." As Kazuki watched in disgust, he unzipped his top, groped his "breasts" and quickly felt around his bra for his cell phone, which was not as easy as it seemed since Ban also crammed in his car keys, cigarette pack, lighter and I.D. scanner inside.

"Could you please be a little more… discreet?" Kazuki chided in hushed tones.

"How can I?" he spat. "This dress has a million zippers and no frigging pockets!" Finally, he found his phone. Clearing his throat, Ban flipped it open and answered.

"_Moshi, moshi!_ Ah, Kojio-san! You're here already. Why are you so late? I've been so lonely sitting here at the bar…" he whined in his irritating screech.

Kazuki winced.

"… an extra 25,000 for my time? Um, okay, but only for you because you seem like a sweet, nice man, tee-hee! Uh-huh… Of course, I brought him… You'll see. He's very cute… I promise you a good time… I'll meet you at the entrance, all right? Bye-bye!"

Ban put the phone back into his bra and zipped up.

"I think my ears are bleeding," the Fuchouin heir mumbled.

"Your ears?" Ban retched. "Me, I need to wash my mouth out with acid!"

"Why was he late?"

"Didn't say. But it sounds to me like he had another date – with the bottle." Ban sighed. This was going to be more trouble than he thought. He shook Ginji awake.

"Wha- Did I fall asleep?" Bleary-eyed and foggy-headed, Ginji felt as drunk as before. _That was some soda,_ he thought.

"Kojio's here. Go over to the front doors and wait for him," his partner ordered.

"Mm. And you?"

"Right behind you," he said, without adding, _I have someone to deal with first_.

As Ginji walked zombie-like towards the entrance, Ban jerked his head towards his long-haired rival, eyes glowing like pure blue flame.

"So…"

Kazuki stood up and raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

"… you still want to go through with this?"

"What have I got to lose? Besides, it would be nice, for once, to beat you," he replied with a smile.

"Suit yourself. But don't regret it," Ban sneered wickedly.

As Kazuki glided down the stairs on his light steps, the Get Backer casually slid out a foot and tripped the string master, sending him tumbling down a few flights and finally landing at the foot of the stairs in a cloud of beads, chestnut hair and red and orange silk.

Chortling, Ban sprang over the heap on the floor. As he scampered away, he looked back and razzed. "Tsk. Tsk. Ito no Kazuki... So ungraceful for a Fuchouin."

"Why, you dirty – " Kazuki growled as he slowly pulled himself up.

As Ban gave a jaunty backhand wave …

_Whoosh! WHAP!_

_THUD!_ … He fell down splat on the floor.

"What the – " Ban rolled over on his side and found his ankles tightly bound.

With bells in his skillful hand, Kazuki stood over him angrily. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't wrap you up like a mummy right now!"

"This!" Ban gripped the informer's ankle with his Snake Bite.

"Let go!" He tried to kick off his hand.

The stunned crowd parted like the Red Sea as Kazuki dragged the clinging Get Backer towards the club's doors.

"You stop! Or else I might break your leg!"

"You won't dare!"

"Try me!"

Kazuki was quite strong to have lugged that dead weight a few metres. To his chagrin, he realized they were making a spectacular scene. But no way was he going to let the snake bastard get the better of him.

Meanwhile, Ban currently functioned as a human mop as he and his black gown were swept across the floor. He knew he could release his hold and easily untie his binds, but no way was he going to let that bobbin head get away.

A perplexed Ginji appeared before his ridiculous-looking friends to break the stalemate.

"Where were you? And – why are you on the floor, Ban-chan?"

Ban rapidly broke through the string around his ankles, stood up and huffily brushed off his dress.

Kazuki crossed his arms. "That was despicably low, even for you, Mido Ban."

Staring at each other scaldingly, they flipped their mussed-up hair away from their faces and grunted. "Hmph!"

"Hey! That's Kojio over there, isn't it?" Kazuki exclaimed. He started off again towards the doors.

"You think I'm stupid? I'm not falling for –" Ban shouted.

Ginji interrupted him. "No, it really is him." He followed Kazuki into the crowd.

"Wait! Where?" Ban struggled to see over the raucous mob. Pushing and shoving his way through, he tried to catch up with the girly-man and his traitorous best friend.

Kojio was standing near the entry accompanied by the club's burly bouncer. Just as he had told Natsumi, Kojio was wearing a dark blue suit with a gray kerchief in his coat pocket. Even from a distance, Ban noticed he had a highly-strung look about him, with sweat dripping in rivulets down the sides of his face, plastering sparsely combed-over hair damply against the balding top of his head.

To Ban's dismay, the bag man was also wearing dark glasses.

First to catch Kojio's attention, Kazuki waved. "Hello! Excuse me, but you must be Ko-"

"Kojio-san, I presume?" Ban roughly cut in front of Kazuki. Kojio nodded, his lips slowly curling into a salacious grin.

The brunette Get Backer bowed. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Midori and I'll be your company tonight." He pulled Ginji next to him. "And as promised, I brought a friend."

Kojio peered closely at Ginji's face. "Are you really a boy? You don't look like one. Whash your name?"

Inhaling the toxic fumes from the man's sake-saturated breath threatened to raise Ginji's blood alcohol level a percentage point. "Ginji," he replied lamely, swatting his hand in front of his nose.

Ban kicked his partner on the leg. "You mean 'Kazuki'."

The 'real' Kazuki narrowed his eyes.

"But Kazu-chan is right here." Ginji glanced at the _annaiya_.

Confused for merely a second, Kazuki read the situation and covered for his Raitei. "Kazuki Ginji. And I'm Kazuki – Keiko. I'm his … sister." He put a protective arm around the blond.

"Ah, yesh! I can shee the reshemblance," Kojio nodded leeringly. "Such fine looking siblings. But – " He faced Kazuki. "Did I ask for you, too? I don't remember …"

"Er… Not really," he stammered. "I'm here to … help my brother."

_Damn! What a stupid answer. What was I supposed to say? I want to crash your threesome? _He cringed.

Kojio cocked his head. "You approve of your brother doing –"

"They need the money," Ban interjected. "They're very poor."

Kazuki threw the snake a murderous glance.

Kojio was unmoved. "Oh well, the more the merrier, right?" He laughed.

The three laughed half-heartedly with him.

"Shall I lead you to your table, sir?" the bouncer asked.

"Mmm," Kojio hummed, taking Ginji's arm for support. The Get Backer looked at his friends pleadingly.

Ban and Kazuki followed a little ways behind. "Kojio's getting the VIP treatment," the string-style master whispered. "Connected to the _Yakuza_, you think?"

"Aa." Ban cursed inwardly. A drunken racketeer with _Yakuza_ protection? _Shit! The parts could be anywhere._

The bouncer took them to a well appointed semi-circular booth located near the dance floor. It was currently occupied by some office clerks and their weasely boyfriends. He jerked a thumb out at them.

"You! Move out!"

Grumbling and cursing, the group obeyed. They were well-versed in the gangland hierarchy drill.

Grudgingly passing Ban / Midori and Kazuki / Keiko on their way out, the women whispered loudly enough for them to hear.

_"Yuck! How can those girls stand being with that dirty old man?"_

_"The blonde must be his jail-bait girlfriend…"_

_"I'm sure the long-haired one is the mistress…"_

_"And that witch is definitely a whore."_

The women cackled an evil and boisterous laugh.

As the bouncer hailed a waiter to clear the table, Ban grappled Kazuki's arm. "This is so unfair!" he sulked with a bratty pout. "Why are you a mistress and I'm a whore?"

"For crying out loud!" Kazuki sighed, shaking Ban's hand off.

Kojio motioned for his three beauties to sit next to him. Ban and Kazuki took their places on each side of him, while Ginji sat next to his partner, near the edge of the bench.

To his deep consternation, Ban realized Ginji would be of little use in his current state.

As Kojio ordered iced teas for everyone and a scotch for himself, the dark-haired Get Backer signaled to Kazuki not to let Kojio get more boozed up than he already was.

_I know_, the string master mouthed.

"Kojio-san… About your being late, you promised…" Ban wheedled like a little girl asking for candy. He wasted no time in collecting the man's I.O.U.

"I didn't forget, shweetheart," he mumbled while reaching into his coat for his wallet. "Um. How much did I say, again?"

"40,000," he lied. Hey, it wasn't his fault the guy couldn't remember it was actually twenty-five.

"Really? Well, okay. But only becosh you've bewitched me… Get it? Bewitch?" Kojio chuckled as he handed Ban a couple of crisp notes under the table. Kazuki scowled with extreme disapproval.

"Thank you!" he gushed, smiling sweetly. Tucking the bills into his bra, Ban thought that maybe Kojio wasn't such an ogre after all.

Then a hand squeezed his thigh.

_I take that back._

"You two are very tall girls," Kojio observed as he put his arms around each of their waists. A waiter brought their drinks.

"We're models… " Ban recited his 'What do you do for a living?' spiel. Squirming, he and Kazuki looked at each other, eyes dueling for the right to refuse taking the man's drink.

"Ah, that's why you look familiar. For a while, I thought you were that actress 'Sadako'." Kojio fumbled for his scotch.

Sighing, Kazuki took action. _Darn! I hate whisky._ Holding his breath, he grabbed the glass and gulped down the contents in one go. "And I'm… working my way – ack! – through… college," he coughed.

"Keiko-san… Waah… You prefer yours, hard." The sweaty lech slurred suggestively. "Hehe. I like that in a woman."

"Waiter! Another scotch! And make it a double." His attention turned to Ginji.

"And you? What do you do aside from … this?"

Ginji finished his iced tea. Dribbling, he replied, "I'm a Get – Oww!"

Ban stomped on his foot. "He's getting his degree in – Physics. He may be penniless, but he's actually a genius. Right, boyfriend?"

The snake man smiled sheepishly as Ginji and Kazuki did a double-take.

He wasn't quite sure yet why he said that.

"Your boyfriend? Okay. I see." A sleazy grin crept up Kojio's face.

"Enough about us," Ban quickly changed the subject. He patted the client's leathery hand. "You seem like a very successful man. I bet I can tell your line of work just by touching and looking at your hand."

Ban wanted to hurl. He felt so dirty he could just scrub himself raw with sandpaper sitting so close to this slimeball.

He gingerly played with Kojio's hand. "Rough, yet strong and nimble. Hmm… Your hands are your livelihood. You must be a designer. A sculptor maybe?

"Amazhing. How did you know?"

"It's a special talent," Ban warbled perkily. "Do I get a reward for a correct answer?" Maybe if he was charming enough he could milk this guy dry.

"Later, dear." Kojio placed his sweaty, grubby paws on the Get Backer's cheeks.

_Arrgghh! Not the face!_ Ban was positive he was going to break out in zits the next morning.

Kazuki grabbed the crook's left hand. "I know palmistry," he lied. Actually, he didn't know what on earth he was talking about, but he couldn't allow the snake the upper hand. He traced the lines on Kojio's palm. "Your life line and heart line indicate increasing good fortune. You are to make a lot of money soon, am I right? You will be very lucky."

"I'd say I'm very lucky right now, hyuk-hyuk," the old geezer gurgled, squeezing his 'girls'. Ban and Kazuki rolled their eyes in unison.

Ginji leaned over and tried to find what the fuss was all about. "Hey, why can't I see anything?" he asked a little enviously. "All I see are brown spots."

"Ginji, shut up!" his partner warned through clenched teeth.

Feeling very pleased with himself, Kojio boasted. "I work in Hollywood. In moviesh. In fact…" He turned to Kazuki. "I shink you're beeyootiful enough to become a movie shtar."

"You really think so?" The long-haired looker chirped a bit too brightly. He was genuinely flattered someone thought he could pass for a Tinseltown leading lady.

"I'm a partner at a film production company. I bet you could give Lucy Liu a run for her money."

_Darn right, I could,_ Kazuki thought, then recoiled. _Wait. Why am I –_

_Oh great. He's Lucy Liu while I'm 'Sadako'._ Ban pursed his lips. "So you're a movie producer?"

"Among other things," Kojio replied proudly.

"And what movies do you specialize in?" The Get Backer took a sip of iced tea.

"Art films."

Ban spit out his drink and stifled a guffaw. "Porn?"

"Ish not porn. Ish tasteful, sensual romantic drama," the dirtbag insisted.

Kazuki wrinkled his nose in repugnance, his very, very brief illusions of Hollywood stardom came crashing down to earth.

"What do you say? Come to L.A. and I'll help you get an audition." Kojio leaned so close Kazuki's face was practically scorched by his steamy, fire-breathing mug.

_Audition, my foot._ "Um, no thanks," he mumbled, using a hand to shield himself.

"Hee-hee," Ban gloated quietly. Keiko Kazuki, porn star. Had a nice ring to it.

A waitress arrived and placed Kojio's order of double scotch on the table. Kazuki pressed into the seat and whispered behind their victim to Ban.

"Your turn." He pointed.

"Are you crazy?" the Jagan master mouthed back. "That's a straight double!"

They viewed the lush helplessly as he swallowed half of the whisky in an instant.

_Aw, shit._ Ban knew he had to act fast and get as much out of Kojio before it was too late. There was no point in interrogating a babbling fool or using the Evil Eye on a guy whose brain was reduced to oatmeal.

Kazuki had the same idea as his placid, indomitable façade became overcast with impatience.

"You're in Tokyo for business then?"

"Whoo! That'sh a good whisky." Kojio fell into the back cushions ecstatically. "Aa. Business. I'm here to close a deal on some technology that will revolutionize, _hic!..._ the movie industry."

_Now we're getting somewhere._ Ban's expression lit up. "Oh! Oh! And did you close the deal?"

"Yep! Sure did," Kojio belched in a happy daze. He reached his arms up to the ceiling and drew an imaginary rectangle in the air with his fingers. "The next Hollywood blockbuster might as well have a marquee that reads, 'Animatronics courtesy of the brilliant Kojio Kiyoshi'… _burrrrrpppp!_"

Ban restrained himself from jumping in his seat. His eyes burned laser blue. _The drop must've already been made._ All he and Ginji needed now was a location.

"Wow, Kojio-san! That's great!" Kazuki gushed as he put his hands on the man's arm and shoulder. Ban raised an eyebrow. It unnerved him to see the string-style master acting so – girlishly perky. Apparently, Kazuki wasn't handling his glass of whisky very well.

"That's why we should shelebrate!" Kojio shouted victoriously as he downed the rest of his drink. "Another scotch, please!" He held up the empty glass to a passing waitress and clamped his arms around Ban and Kazuki's necks, smooshing their heads into his sopping wet one.

Kazuki grimaced. _Ewwww…._ He terribly wanted this to end ASAP.

"Why don't we bring this celebration elsewhere? Somewhere more – private?" The Fuchouin heir heaved. "I know I'm not part of the package – " He paused. "But if you're a good boy, you won't have to pay me a cent."

Kazuki batted his eyes suggestively.

_Un-freakin-believable._ Ban snorted. Simpering, he couldn't help but add, "That's right Kojio-san. You can have the three of us. Buy two, get one free."

The _annaiya_ gnashed his teeth, reached behind Kojio's back and flicked the tip of Ban's pert, snobby nose.

"Ow!" he cried, covering his smarting schnozz with his hand.

"Girls, girls! What's the rush? I have money, don't worry. We have _alllll _night." Kojio prattled on cheerfully.

_That's what I'm afraid of. _Kazuki looked up and sighed heavily, the gust of his breath blowing his bangs away from his forehead. Standing up, he announced. "Midori and I need to use the little girls' room." Kazuki's dark, resolute eyes locked onto Ban's and then he jerked his head towards the restrooms.

Ban stared at the long-haired man quizzically and scowled. Reluctantly, he, too, stood up.

"We'll be back soon. Don't start the party without us, okay?" Kazuki sang charmingly while pinching Kojio's cheek.

Ban clambered over his partner. "Oi, Ginji. You still alive?" He snapped his fingers repeatedly.

Ginji blinked and shook his head hard. "Uh, yeah. Sure." Realizing Ban was leaving, his eyes filled with dread. "Where are you going?"

"Thread Spool wants a quick one," he joked.

The blond drew a blank.

Why Ban even bothered using double-entendres with Ginji was beyond reason. "Keep an eye on Kojio," he whispered. "And _don't_ let him drink another drop of that whisky, got that?"

Ginji watched nervously as his best friend shuffled off. Alone finally with the boy, Kojio scooted next to him.

"I can't believe you're not female." The racketeer's sly and narrow lizard eyes met Ginji's big, tender doe ones. "You sheem like an innocent, vulnerable girl in every way. A big, tall girl, but a girl nonetheless."

Kojio twisted his mouth into a crooked, tar-stain toothed grin. "Perfect. I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun later."

Ginji shirked away. He didn't understand the implications, but the old coot's promise rolled off his tongue smooth, yet stickily – like the slow, steady engulfing threat of molten lava.

Kojio exuded the same creepy, predatory vibe he always felt from Akabane Kuroudo – control and corruption.

The bag man chuckled stealthily to himself and reached for the third glass of scotch the waitress just brought. Even in his anxiety and drunken confusion, Ginji remembered what Ban had told him.

He and Kojio grabbed the glass at the same time. In wordless surprise, they both struggled with the drink, pulling it to and fro between them until a crackle of static held the tumbler in place and began emitting a light.

"What's this?" Kojio mumbled, his eyes transfixed with fascination at the golden glow of mahogany sea sloshing about in the middle of a miniature electrical storm of blues and greens. It looked like a living liquid paper weight.

Out of the brilliant microcosm, a vein of current shot off in a tendril that struck Kojio's finger with a jolt.

"Ilk!" Convulsing slightly, the man released his hold on the glass and limply fainted against the backseat.

With the scotch his for the taking, Ginji let the glow in the glass die off. Then, unwittingly, he did what Kazuki did with his drink and poured the hot potion down his throat.

"Hah! Heee! Gaaackk!" Ginji wheezed, gargled and gagged as the oily substance burned a path down his stomach.

Even as he clutched his throat and tried to get rid of the bad taste in his mouth, a warm sensation swam up into his nerves. As the house lights dimmed and the music grew louder, Ginji looked hazily up at the lanterns on the ceiling and saw their colors melt into each other. Gradually, his impressionable brain abandoned itself to the chemical spell and reacted only to the hypnotic flash of lights, the primal thumping of sounds, and the frenetic illusions projected by his own wishful thinking.

The job… Ban… was the last thing on his fading mind.

"Ginji-san… Ginji-san! You're still here?" A delicate hand caressed his cheek. "Are you okay?"

Ginji fluttered his eyes open and thought he saw angels talking to him in slo-mo against a smoky, fast flickering background. He found it funny that instead of wings and halos, they wore sailor uniforms and had candy-coloured hair.

"Is that loser with you?" Sailor Moon Maya pointed with disdain at the sloppily sprawled man beside him. Ginji shook his head.

"Then he won't mind if we ask you to dance with us," the redhead sailor exclaimed over the noise. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

"Yeah. They're starting the foam party soon," the violet-haired one announced excitedly as she pulled the submissive Get Backer off the bench and led him towards the dance floor.

Ginji knew he had soared with these guardian angels before. But a nagging feeling told him he better get ready for a fall.

Something made Ban turn his head towards the direction of the table where he had just left Ginji and Kojio.

Ignoring it, he caught up with Kazuki at the restroom corridor.

"Don't start the party without us, okay?" Ban mimicked in the girlish sing-song voice Kazuki had used. He continued to heckle with a grin. "You slut. You've done this before, haven't you?"

"Shut up, Rudolph!" Kazuki snapped, referring to the Get Backer's still red nose courtesy of his skillful fingers. "I don't think Kojio is going to willingly give up the location of the androids. We might have to resort to our techniques to get it out of him."

"What do you mean 'we'? Who made you boss?" Ban waved his index finger between them. Pointing it in his rival's face, he backed him into a corner. "There is no 'we' here, only you and the Get Backers."

Kazuki stood his ground. "Correction. You and me," he coolly retaliated. "If you haven't noticed, Ginji's a basket case. I doubt he'll be of much help to you right now."

"I can handle Kojio by myself."

"Maybe. But are you sure you want to spend the rest of the night with Kojio slobbering all over you and lapping at your face? I sure don't." The _annaiya_ shivered.

"Tch! I see your point. You didn't have to burn that image into my brain." Ban curled his lip in revulsion and dishearteningly leaned into the wall. He had to admit he pretty much lost his partner on this leg of the mission.

"I propose, that under the circumstances, we help each other out and whoever makes Kojio cough up the location first gets dibs on the parts." Kazuki crossed his arms. He meant business. "No dirty tricks. Just your Jagan against my strings."

"No dirty tricks?" the snake boy complained. "But that's what makes this whole thing fun. Man, you drive a hard bargain…"

Bells jingled loudly in protest.

"Fine. Fine. What. Ever." He put up a hand and sighed.

Kazuki narrowed his eyes, a tiny gleam of distrust still in them. "Of course, I always play fair so you don't have to worry about me. And just so you know, I actually don't mind if you win this one."

"Conceding defeat, then?" Ban smirked.

"No. Not at all. I just hate seeing Ginji and you starve to death."

He bit his lip. _'You'? Where did that 'you' come from?_

Ban raised a very amused eyebrow. "Who-ahh, Kazuki. I didn't know you cared so much!" He teasingly embraced the string master from the side – complete with raised leg.

"Knock it off, you clown!" He grumbled sheepishly, elbowing Ban away. "Unlike you, I'm satisfied with my haul. Right now, I'm not doing this for the money. You, however, need a lesson in humility."

"Who needs humility when you're me – Mido Ban-sama?" he sniffed.

"Sheesh…" Kazuki drew his hand to his forehead. "All right. So, who gets first shot at Kojio?"

"'Rock, Paper, Scissors' good enough for you?" The Get Backer suggested.

"Sure." The two reached out their hands. "Ready? Rock, paper, scissors. Shoot!"

Ban held out his fist while Kazuki pointed two fingers.

Somehow, that result was unsurprising.

Ban proceeded to walk back to their table. He glanced at Kazuki behind him with a devilish smile and eyes ablaze. "You might as well go home now. Or do you care to watch the master at work?"

"I'll watch," he smiled confidently.

* * *


	9. With Strings Attached, Part 3

**"Sum of the Parts"**

**Disclaimer : **Don't own the lovely Ban, Ginji and Kazuki. I do own the dirty old lech in this chapter, unfortunately.

**A.N. : ** Isn't it obvious I went loco on this whole Get Backers-in-drag club episode?

ENJOY!

---

* * *

**_Chapter 9 : With Strings Attached (Part 3)_**

"What the – " Kazuki gasped as they reached the booth.

He and Ban found Kojio alone, splayed on the bench with his head draped over the backrest at an odd angle. His body looked similar to corpses that had been shot.

"My God. He looks… Dead," he muttered while biting his newly manicured nails.

"Uh, why don't you check to make sure?" Ban advised uneasily.

"Why me?" Kazuki begged to differ.

"Because. Aw, hell." For a moment, the retrievers stared loathingly at Kojio's prostrate form. Without a word, they did 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' again. Kazuki threw out scissors. Ban threw – his Snake Bite.

"I win. The Snake Bite is 'paper'," the Fuchouin heir said.

"No way! Snake Bite is 'rock'!"

"You cheat!"

"All right! All right! I'll do it! You're such a girl!" Ban hissed. He took the empty whisky tumbler and carefully slid it under Kojio's nose. After a few seconds, he examined the glass. It was fogged up.

"Great," Ban informed dully. "He's alive."

Kazuki gave out a sigh of relief and sat down next to the inert figure. "Well, we'll have to wake him up somehow."

"Damn it! I told Ginji not to let him drink anymore."

"Where is he anyway?"

"Probably wandering around looking for the bathroom," the dark-haired Get Backer snorted irritably. "He'll be fine." Ban slapped Kojio's cheek in rapid succession while Kazuki tried shaking him.

"Snap out of it, man!"

Passing people were beginning to stare as the two big 'girls' pummeled, jostled and smacked Kojio's diminutive, flaccid body around like a rag doll.

"Unnnhhh…" A weak groan escaped from Kojio's lips.

"I think he's coming around," Kazuki whispered frantically. "Will the Jagan work on a semi-conscious person?"

"Shouldn't be a problem. Based on the time we left him up until now, he should only be in the second sleep stage," Ban explained quickly as he propped up Kojio to face him. "I don't think he has entered delta sleep (1) or a dream state yet."

"That is, if he was actually sleeping," Kazuki observed thoughtfully. "What if he was knocked unconscious or something?"

The man with the Evil Eye shrugged. "We'll soon find out."

Ban's irises suddenly radiated orbs of electric blue fire with fathomless vertical black chasms slashing through their centers.

"Kojio Kiyoshi, welcome to your worst nightmare," he purred fiendishly as he took off Kojio's dark glasses.

Except –

The man's eyes were rolling back deliriously into the back of his head.

"Wha… unnnhh… ccckkkkhhh…" Slipping back into unconsciousness, Kojio dropped with a heavy thud onto the table.

Losing Kojio meant losing the screen between Ban and Kazuki's startled, unprepared eyes. It only took a split-second.

The String Master was caught in the Jagan's net.

_Oh. Crap._

Ban watched powerlessly as Kazuki's eyes were instantly robbed of their deep intelligence and spirit, leaving only dull, vacant brown pools that saw through him.

He began counting down the seconds without actually counting, measuring the passage of time by listening to the rapid breaths and the tinkling of bells, by feeling the faint vibration of every tremble, and seeing the colour of Kazuki's face deepen from pale white to crimson.

Considering the seeds of the dream he planted included – among other things – a hotel room, a bed, and a pair of handcuffs; the reserved, well-bred man's reactions were not at all surprising.

Ban very briefly considered asking the now impressionable _annaiya_ the question that everyone else was dying to ask. But not even he, who had speculated and teased the most, would allow himself to be that cruel or insensitive. Maybe he just didn't care. Or maybe it was because he did.

The Get Backer shook his head. Damn those Volts for starting to grow on him. Ginji's immense affection for his old gang was way too infectious. Since when did he consider the feelings of anyone other than himself? He smiled slightly.

Not that it mattered anyway. As the nightmare wound down, Ban was sure Kazuki would probably want to make good on his threat to attempt to kill him. Like, in a few seconds.

Ban permitted himself one final uninterrupted up-close look at Kazuki. _Shame… If only…_ Sighing, he swore never to be ensnared by that face – or body –again.

_Wanna bet?_ The disembodied voice of his snake companion chuckled venomously.

_Oh, so you've become my Freudian psychoanalyst as well? Wonderful. Now, shut up!_

_Just one minute…_

Kazuki jumped slightly and drew a sharp intake of breath as his eyes adjusted to their previous surroundings. Back in were the intelligence and the soul, as well as a gold-speckled fury that few had ever seen before. The eyes were laser targeted at the sheepish person front of him.

"Uhhh… Did you have a good dream?"

_SMACK!_

The slap was so loud, despite the pounding music the whole area around the table practically went quiet.

"Awww… Geez! I'm bleeding!" Ban moaned, holding the side of his stinging face. A corner of his lip had split open.

Out from the crowd someone shouted. _"Hey! That pretty long-haired girl just bitch-slapped the witch!"_

"Why did you use the Jagan on me?" Kazuki shouted. Even as he fumed he thrust a napkin towards Ban, which he grudgingly took.

"It wasn't meant for you, idiot!" he roared, one hand dabbing at his lip, the other throttling the string master's neck.

_"Cat-fight! Cat-fight!"_

Kazuki counter-attacked by tying a noose around Ban's neck and pulling hard as he tried to pry off Ban's fingers. "You pervert! What kind of sick hallucination was that?" he sputtered chokingly.

"It was a dream designed for Kojio!" Ban croaked with a grimace. He wheezed. "Dammit! Why would I waste the Jagan on you?"

"Then why did you look at me!"

"_You _looked at _me_!"

They struggled for a minute or so. Just before they both lost consciousness, the two stubborn agents finally released their strangle-holds on each other. Coughing and gasping they began regaining their wits about them.

The entertainment over, the crowd went back to their normally scheduled programming.

_"They were fighting over that ugly, bald sleazeball?"_

_"…He must be very rich. Who wants to be touched by that? Blech!"_

_"I was rooting for the long-haired one…"_

Kazuki breathed hard. _Now I know how Shido feels._ He glanced over to the Get Backer who was slumped over the seat staring at the ceiling.

"Is it still bleeding?" he asked, his voice slightly strained with a mixture of guilt and concern.

Ban wiped the last drop of blood from his lip. "It's fine," he answered gruffly.

"You really are a demented bastard." Kazuki reclined stiffly into the backrest and tensely gripped the edge of the table. "Is that how the Jagan works? I was lucid but without any will. Tied to that bed, no strings, no control, no… I was aware of the whole impossibility and absurdity of it all, yet it seemed so strangely real."

"…being tortured by an android with the mechanical, um, devices and… and… appendages…" Kazuki closed his eyes tightly, shook his head hard and shuddered. Opening his eyes, he glowered furiously at Ban.

"And you know what the absolute worst was about that nightmare?" He banged his fist into the table, making Kojio's unconscious head jump a few inches off. "The robot looked just like you! No. It _was you!_ Why the hell did you use yourself in the dream?"

"As opposed to who? Jubei?" Ban snorted as he reached into his dress for his smokes. "Of course I had to use myself. For continuity's sake." Thoughtfully – and wickedly - he added. "Be grateful I didn't use your image for the robot. Now that would be so whacked. Imagine you being 'interrogated' by – you."

"All I know is, I won't be able to look at you in the same way ever again," Kazuki frowned.

"Was it that bad?" the snake man smiled sardonically, blowing a chimney stack of smoke. "Hmm… Actually, I quite fancy myself with a steel ro –"

_WHACK!_

Ban received another blow. This time, to the other side of his face.

**-o- **

Just like a red-orange sunset fading into a blue moon illuminated night, the club's soft tangerine glow was replaced by neon blue-lighted darkness.

Ginji was being led into the black space of the dance floor by his sailor-angels. As he neared the strange arena, he watched in fascination as the dancing spotlights exploded into the void like fireworks, showering a flash of sparks on the happy, playing people.

That was how they looked to Ginji – as children playing.

Stepping onto the floor, a techno re-mix of a song began its crescendo. It seemed fate had a sense of humour and decided to herald his entrance.

_**(2)**"She gave you everything she had_

_But she was young and dumb,_

_She'd just turned twenty-one…"_

"You'll love this Ginji-san!" Maya shouted as they were bounced around like bumper cars in an ocean of moving bodies. There was a charged sense of anticipation from the dancers and Ginji also felt the need to be a part of what they were waiting for.

Though, as he looked at the increasing hysteria around him, an instinct told him he was forgetting something – or someone. In the frenzy of the moment, it was easy to ignore.

_"She didn't care to hang around_

_So when the shit came down_

_Why, she was nowhere to be found…"_

An arm embraced Ginji's waist and a green-haired 'Sailor Neptune' molded herself to him. As she swayed, she pulled him into the rhythm of her body.

"Let yourself go. Don't be shy!" she laughed.

Ginji's heartbeat quickened. The alcohol was fuelling the catalytic reactions in his cells, raising his temperature degree by feverish degree. He held on to the girl's shoulder for what seemed like dear life.

_"This life can turn a good girl bad_

_She was the sweetest thing _

_that you had ever seen…"_

Even as he was clinging, his dancing partner twirled and let go of him, passing him off to persons unknown in the writhing mass. Ginji was finally caught by a tall, handsome young executive who had his tie loosened and sleeves rolled up. He was pleasantly surprised at the creature that had landed in his arms.

_"With your cherry lips and golden curls_

_You could make grown men gasp_

_When you'd go walking past…"_

"Whoa! Steady…" The man held the Get Backer in place.

Ginji gazed at big, smiling brown eyes that could've been his own. With a scarlet flush on his cheeks, he tore away and wobbled in the opposite direction. Looking down, a bubbly froth rolled in below his feet.

_"It seemed like rainbows would appear_

_Whenever you came near…_

_Because you looked just like a girl…"_

Ginji turned and turned. Everywhere he looked clouds were billowing and swelling – a bubblegum-scented white wonderland which the angels, sailor girls, fairies, princes and princesses, mechas, furry animals and everyone else had made their playground. The music was now punctuated by boisterous cheers and squeals of delight. Ginji's mouth gaped with child-like marvel.

_"You're such a delicate boy_

_in the hysterical realm…"_

The effervescence of the bubbles tickled Ginji's skin. He scooped up a large puff of foam in his hands and stared as the disco lights tinted the ball in ever-changing flashes of rainbow colours, making it look as though he was holding a different flavoured cotton candy every second. Ginji giggled, which soon grew into peals of laughter.

_"…of an emotional landslide_

_in physical terms…"_

He began whirling and tossing the bubbles into the air, watching them break apart into fragile pieces and landing on bobbing heads.

_"You make the whole world wanna dance_

_You bought yourself a second chance…"_

"Ginji-san!" someone shouted. He felt a hand take his and lead him towards the thickest part of the cloud. They were all angels in heaven, he thought.

_"Go baby, go go_

_We're right behind you…_

_Yeah, we're looking at you."_

Ginji dove right in.

_"Go baby."_

_"Go baby."_

**-o-**_  
_

It was Kazuki's turn.

He needed a quiet, secluded place to tie Kojio up, so he and Ban holed themselves up in the ladies' room. They would've chosen the less busy men's room if not for the jerks who decided they were going to use it as their private smoking lounge.

Kojio was now strung up with his body stuck high on the ceiling. Kazuki kept tossing glasses of water up to his face in an attempt to revive him.

Ban found the whole thing quite absurd.

"I don't believe this!" the string master grumbled exasperatedly. "He should be awake by now. I don't think he's merely drunk. Something must've happened to him. I just know it."

"Gee, Thread Spool. I thought your interrogation techniques would've had a bit more _finesse_ to it," Ban snorted disdainfully, cigarette dangling from his bruised lips. "Torturing a guy while he's tied up? How original. Turns out, you're nothing more than a pretty-boy thug. I'm _sooo_ disappointed."

Kazuki looked like he was about ready to gouge out the insufferable Get Backer's precious eyes to go with that busted lip.

"A man tied up in a high place while his restraints unravel one-by-one usually gets me results within fifteen minutes," he replied defensively. "Unfortunately, just like your _invincible_ Evil Eye, it doesn't work on someone who's practically _comatose_."

"So unless you've got any other bright ideas, I suggest you shut up!"

"Tsk. A bit touchy, aren't you?" Ban waved his cigarette mockingly. He was lackadaisically blocking the restroom door while a crowd of desperate girls cursed, whined and violently banged and kicked from the other side.

"Oi! How long are you going to keep this up? I think some girl outside already peed her pants," he complained.

"All right! I give up," Kazuki sighed. But before he could use his string to carefully cut Kojio's binds, Ban rushed over and jumped.

"It's my turn again, right?" he exclaimed as he impatiently tore at Kojio's restraints with his Snake Bite.

"Wait! Not like that!"

_"Hai-yaaah!"_ The moment his fingers touched the string it broke apart instantly and Ban found himself grasping at nothing. He fell flat on the floor – with a now-free Kojio landing heavily on top of him.

_"OOF!"_

For all of his vaunted strength and speed, Ban realized he could use neither as Kojio knocked the wind out of him.

Kazuki kneeled beside the TKO'd bodies and shook a finger. "Pretty-boy thug, huh? Well then, I'll let you stay there to contemplate how much better a position you'd probably be in if you didn't disrespect my 'no-finesse technique', you jerk!"

Suddenly, with a bang, the door was broken down and a stampede of cursing, screaming girls whose bladders were about to explode came rushing in – inadvertently running over Kojio and Ban in their race for empty stalls.

_"Gross! They're having sex in the bathroom!"_

_"Get a goddamn room!"_

Amidst the chaos, Kazuki pulled Kojio off the Get Backer and dragged him out. "Don't be too long," he called out.

Ban remained lying on the floor trying to catch his breath as girls eyed him with disgust.

He grimaced. _I should just expose myself here and get kicked to death by these kogals. I bet it'll be a lot less painful._

Ban staggered back to the table. Along the way he had stolen a couple of drinks. The way this was turning out, hell, they _all _might as well be drunk.

Amazingly, he saw Kojio pressing the heels of his hands on his temples. He even had the faculties to put his sunglasses back on.

_O-kaaay… So now he's awake._

Ban sat next to Kazuki in the booth, his eyes searching for any kind of explanation. The _annaiya _shrugged.

"Wha- 'appen?" Kojio moaned. "Last thing I remember… strange… glass glowing green…"

"Damn! I should've known." Ban slapped his palm to his forehead. _Ginji._ He had almost forgotten about his missing partner. Instinctively, his gaze turned towards the dance floor, eyes growing large at seeing it full of churning suds.

"What the hell is that?"

"A foam party. They're all the rage now," Kazuki replied. He then put an arm around Kojio and using his most seductive voice, suggested, "Why don't we take this date to the next level, hmm? Let's go someplace where the only noise we'll hear is – our own."

"Ugh!" Ban resisted the urge to puke all over the two lovebirds. Standing abruptly, he pointed at his rival. "Don't you go anywhere!"

"But what – "

The Get Backer halted the string master with a thrust of his outstretched hand and proceeded to the dance floor. Foam was equivalent to water. Ginji was equivalent to electricity. Mix them together with a dash of alcohol… Well, it didn't take a rocket scientist to know what that was a recipe for.

"Ginji, you better not be inside this giant washing machine," Ban muttered as he stepped into the clouds.

**-o- **

Meanwhile, Ginji was a marionette on a string swinging and moving to the pounding bass beats and mesmerizing rhythms coming from both the club music and from within himself.

As is always a mystery, Ginji had happened to get a hold of two paper fans which he was now using to perform a hip-hop infused version of his fan dance of joy. Somewhere along the way, he had also lost his long blonde wig.

But everyone on that floor was beyond caring about appearances as they were cloaked in the anonymity provided by the white mist. They all saw what they wanted to see, heard what they wanted to hear, and danced to the groove of their mind's melody. From where the images or sounds came made no difference at all.

It certainly made no difference to Ginji.

When he thought he could no longer keep up with the quaking, spinning room around him, Ginji stopped dancing. Trying to get his balance in order, he focused through half-lidded eyes at the only steady object he could find – the yellow flare of the ceiling floodlights.

Blinded for a second, he blinked. Its bright ray sliced into the cloud and suddenly, he saw an angel descend towards him. Confused and petrified, he thought she looked familiar. She had long, wind-swept raven hair and shining silver eyes and was dressed in flowing robes of glittering gossamer and swallow's wings.

"N-Natsumi-chan?" he stammered.

The angel stopped right in front of the puzzled boy and gazed up at his eyes. "We're having fun, aren't we?" she giggled.

"Wha-"

"Shhh…" The Natsumi-angel flapped her wings once and floated up until her face was level with Ginji's. Lifting his chin with her finger, she silenced him with her lips – warm, soft, and searching.

"Oompfh!" Ginji gave out a muffled whimper. He then closed his eyes and allowed himself to slacken in rapturous surrender. But inside of him, his heart beat faster and faster and a lightning storm began brewing itself out of a strange chemistry his body had never concocted before.

It was impossible for Ginji to know what kind of reaction this new storm would bring.

The vision dissipated, signaling the fusion of currents before their charges repelled each other and the pulses raced in a relay to escape the confines of Ginji's physical form.

For an agonizing second that bordered between pleasure and pain, the electricity hovered beneath his skin before finally breaking out in brilliant light.

_"YA-HOOO!"_ Ginji yelled happily, jumping up and throwing his arms in the air.

"Ginji!"

Ban called for his partner as he cut through the maze of undulating bodies and swiped at the puffs of foam. Angrily, he cursed at himself, mostly due to the futility of finding Ginji by sight in this jungle of white; and partly because he was responsible for causing this bizarre chain-reaction in the first place, starting with that glass of tequila.

"Ginji! You idiot! Where are you?"

Now, he could sense the surge rising. Hurriedly, Ban weaved and pushed, heading in the direction of the telepathic wave – only to see he was too late.

In what seemed like slow motion, filaments of current were branching out from bubble to bubble, like spindly fingers reaching towards him.

_Oh shit, Ginji. Now you've done it._

_"GINJI!"_ Ban shouted as the jolts speared into him.

There was a startled chorus of shrieks, and for a few seconds, Ban stood helplessly as he watched the gorgeous luminance of the red-tinged violet thunder cloud crackle and flicker around him.

_Violet? How… wait… this is… different…_ "Unnnhh" A groan managed to escape from his lips before he shuddered and fell to the floor.

Ginji heard his name called. He dropped his arms and stopped whirling. The music was still playing, but except for faint murmurs from outside the dance floor, there were no cheers, no delighted squeals of laughter. Only stunned silence.

Ginji looked around him. All the dancing angels were gone and the bubblegum aroma that had intoxicated him was now replaced by a bitter metallic ion smell he knew only too well.

Illusions shattered, he alone stood in the middle of the white cloud that still sizzled with static electricity.

"Huh?" Ginji finally began to panic. There was something very wrong here.

"Where is everybody?"

_"BAN-CHAAAN!"_

_

* * *

_

**Next chapter :** Don't worry. No one dies. Although something else might (dundundun!). Peace! Hope you liked this very long installment. Tell me what you think, okay? Thanks. See you soon!

**_(1) delta sleep : _**Stage 3 of the sleep cycle. Also called "slow wave" sleep because brain activity slows down dramatically. Contrary to popular belief, this is the deepest stage of sleep (not REM, when most dreams occur) and occurs after 10-20 minutes from the beginning of the cycle.

**_(2) _**From "Cherry Lips" by Garbage. Lyrics are the property of their respective authors, artists, and labels. All lyrics provided are for entertainment purposes and personal use only.


	10. Hotel to Hell

"**Sum of the Parts"**

**Disclaimer : **The characters aren't mine, yeah, yeah, yeah...

**A.N. : **Based on some of the reviews, I've been seriously considering changing the genre of this fic from General/Humour to simply Horror! Unfortunately, it gets a bit weirder in this chapter, dealing as it does in, ahem, alternative lifestyles. So, if you're easily squicked by this kind of thing, my apologies in advance.

As always, please keep those reviews coming because I really do love to hear from you! Thanks for tuning in!

ENJOY!

---

* * *

**_Chapter 10 : Hotel To Hell_**

"_Ban-chaan!"_

Ginji's lip quivered and his eye twitched. Parched at the throat, he felt the vertigo from dehydration growing in his brain, but oddly, he knew he was sober. The surge of lightning burned up the rest of the alcohol in his blood.

Sweeping away the feather-light barriers before him, Ginji tried to tread cautiously in every direction. But every step he took made contact with a body on the floor.

Trembling, he froze in place and choked back the tears.

Ginji kept only a few snapshots in his memory. Most of the newer ones were in vivid colour. But those that were in black-and-white, he couldn't throw away even if he wanted to. And it happened that those pictures were the sharpest snapshots of all. Even in their drab grayscales, they were as clear and detailed as day.

One of them flashed in his mind, dated the day he first transformed into Raitei. Ginji could still count each and every one of the thirty or so roasted Beltline demon corpses in the highly charged pit; saw the bulging exploded eyes where the boiling vitreous humor had burst through; still felt the life draining from the broken body of the frail, innocent girl he held in his arms...

"No! No! Not again!" Ginji sobbed. He dropped down and began crawling over the sleeping angels in the cloud.

He thought he could hear the faint voice of Raitei whisper sadly. "Why, Ginji? Not only are you a demon slayer, now you kill angels as well?"

"Ban-chaaan! Ban-chaaan!"

With a voice calling his name piercing into his consciousness, Ban slowly stirred, eyes rolling back from the top of his head even as he kept his lids closed. With his heart slowing down into its normal rhythm, Ban rewound back to when he was engulfed by the purple haze.

The electricity was something else. It was a different colour and of relatively low voltage. Ban had been shocked enough by his partner to know the difference. This current didn't even short out the sound system or the disco lights.

Most of all, it was warm like the last spring rain before summer. It ebbed and flowed through his body, peaking and leveling off, and peaking again as though it had mood, emotion. This violet energy was not pure like the hot, slashing blue-green rage of Raitei. It caressed and cycled around until quietly being absorbed by his nerves and then suddenly spilling.

This one was solely Ginji's. Raitei could not possibly produce electric sensations that pleasing. So pleasant, in fact, they were almost – orgasmic.

_Ginji, you're still full of surprises._ Despite not being fully conscious, Ban's lips twisted into a silly smile.

Miraculously, Ginji finally crawled over to the curled body of his best friend.

"Oh no! I killed Ban-chan! I killed Ban-chan! Waaaaah!" he wailed as he tried to shake the Get Backer awake.

Exasperation forced Ban to reply hoarsely. "I'm not dead, dumbass!"

"Ban-chan?" Ginji turned him over onto his back. In his chibi form he latched onto Ban's chest and cried. "Ban-chan! Thank God you're alive!"

The brunette cracked open an eye and saw a shaking ball of fluffy foam spouting two fountains of salty water in front of him.

Ban's eyes flew open. "What the hell!" He paused. Chibi-Ginji was so tiny he had been completely covered in bubbles.

He bonked the soapy ball with his fist. "Change back, Ginji! You're freaking me out!"

In his full form, Ginji knelt beside his partner and wiped his tears. "Ban-chan, I thought Raitei... Just like the first time I turned..."

Ban propped himself up on one elbow and pulled the blond towards him by the collar. "You. Are. Not. Raitei." He enunciated carefully. "See?"

The boy turned his head all around him and happily realized the dancers were starting to pick themselves up in a drone of gasps, mumbles and giggles.

"_Was that some special effect?"_

"..._I don't know, but it felt... real good..."_

Concerned people began piling into the foamy bedlam as Ban sat up and brushed wisps of bubbles off his face. He could still feel the tingling in his spine – and other parts. Finding this hilarious, he laughed. And laughed some more.

Ginji gripped both of his fiend's shoulders with an urgent, beseeching expression on his face. 'Ban-chan! Stop laughing! I don't find this funny at all! What happened? What did I just do? I d-don't understand..."

Ban groaned. _Oh, man..._ Now was not the time for a birds-and-the-bees talk. But he knew Ginji wouldn't shut up until he got some sort of answer. Scratching his head, he replied, "You know that feeling you get after a, umm... nice dream?"

"Oh, you mean like the one I once had where I won a year's worth of all-you-can-eat buffet dinners at a hotel?" Ginji sniffled.

"You can't remember what you just did yet you remember _that_?" Ban rolled his eyes hopelessly. "No. I meant a nice, _niiice_ dream. Where something, you know, sorta, kinda happens when you, uh, wake up."

"When I wake up?" Ginji looked up and thought hard. After what seemed like an eternity, he went beet red. "Oh... that. I did that? To everyone?"

"Something like it," Ban said as he searched for his cigarettes inside his top. "God, I need a smoke." He fished out a stick from his pack, lit up and drew hard. Others on the floor were doing the same thing as the bubbles slowly began to dissolve and deflate.

"But how - ?" The naïve Get Backer asked quietly of himself. He bit his knuckles, discovering finally that he didn't know how he could do such a thing. But he could certainly guess _why_.

"What a huge irony," the snake man snickered. "You. Of all people. A walking, talking electric sex machine."

"Huh?"

"Never mind," he sighed as Ginji helped him stand up. Punching the blond's shoulder, Ban demanded, "What brought out that burst of lightning anyway?"

Ginji was hunched with guilt as they traipsed through the labyrinth of foam and baffled dancers towards their table. "I was dancing and next thing I know, this angel comes down from the light –"his eyes glazed over wistfully from the memory "– and kisses me." He added softly. "It was nice."

Ban crumpled his face. "_What?_ You caused all of this because of some hallucination?" He branded Ginji's face with a letter "L" courtesy of his fingers. "You're such a loser! I mean, what moron gets kissed by an imaginary angel, anyway?"

"She looked real to me –at the time."

"Let me guess. She looked just like Natsumi, right?" the brunette smirked.

Ginji cast down his eyes in silent affirmation.

"Heh. You horny devil," Ban snorted. He then stopped his partner in the middle of the floor and exclaimed with a sudden realization. "Shit, Ginji! If this is what happens when you're kissing an _illusion_, I can't imagine what you'll do when you actually get lai –"

"Ginji-san! Ban-kun! Are you guys all right?" Kazuki appeared from behind the curtain of white. "I saw the electricity and rushed right in. What happened?"

"Just basking in the afterglow," the simpering Get Backer answered, blowing a column of smoke upwards. "You missed a hell of a party, Thread Spool. Dancing Queen here just screwed everyone over."

"What are you talking about?" Kazuki cocked his head to the side. "Ginji-san?" The blond flashed the 'ok' sign, though confusion still shrouded his pink, tear-stained features.

"... _we apologize for the, um, technical difficulties. In the meantime, we're about to start our Sweetheart contest. So to all you lovely ladies out there, if you think you've got what it takes to be a 'Dolce Vita' muse..."_ the emcee announced enthusiastically.

Kazuki smiled with relief. "Anyway, the good news is, I think Kojio is ready to leave now. What do you think? Should we let him decide where to go next or do we get this over with by forcing the info out of him in some alley around here?"

It was obvious the string specialist was losing patience. The latter suggestion made him sound like a mafia goombah. All that was missing was the 'bada bing bada boom!'

Ban narrowed his eyes and creased his brow. To his annoyance, Kazuki was in "we" mode again. _Gotta ditch the thread-head. The sooner, the better._

"Let's get you some water, Ginji-san. You're dehydrated." Kazuki took his Thunder Emperor's arm and began leading him away. His instinctive gesture brought the Fuchouin heir back to the old days in Mugenjou when Ginji relied on him, most of all, for answers. 'Kazuki of the Strings' who always knew what to do – even though that wasn't exactly true.

Old habits die hard. The informant almost forgot Ginji already had a partner he could rely on. For better or for worse, that partner could offer more to the boy than he ever could.

Realizing this, Kazuki paused and looked back at Ban. "Are you coming?"

"Aa. I'll just be a sec."

He sighed. It seemed like every time he left the wily Get Backer behind the guy would hatch up a conspiracy and proceed to stab him in the back.

---

_Lose him in the crowd? Lock him up somewhere? Nah... too easy._ With his hands on his hips and his foot tapping on the floor agitatedly, Ban wracked his brain for ways to get rid of the long-haired pest. Then the spritely club events coordinator / emcee – who was outfitted like a bumblebee and was earnestly buzzing about on the job – passed by him. Suddenly, supernovas exploded in his cursed cosmic eyes._ I'm an evil sonofabitch. Yes I am, _Ban chuckled as he went after the girl.

"Excuse me, miss," he gently grabbed the emcee's arm. "I was wondering if you're still registering names for the Sweetheart contest."

The busy bee spun around and hugged her computer clipboard close. "Oh, sure," she answered cheerfully through the racket. "This isn't a formal pageant or anything like that. It's just for fun. Would you like to join?"

"Heavens no. Not me," Ban / Midori laughed with a limp 'Oh, come now' wave of his hand. "But I'd like to volunteer my friend. It's that long-haired girl wearing the gypsy costume."

He pointed through the foam and criss-crossing crowd toward the neon pink and orange illuminated bar where Kazuki was opening a bottle of water for Ginji.

"She's gorgeous," the emcee whistled.

"But she doesn't know that," Ban cooed in his fake female croak. He crammed back a cackle down his throat. "That girl is much to shy and it's not helping her self-esteem any. A little public exposure would do her confidence good, you think?"

The coordinator smiled back and winked. "I'll see what I can do. What's her name?"

"Keiko. Kazuki Keiko."

The woman entered the name into her computer. "Don't worry, we'll have Keiko strutting on that bar in no time. She's lucky she has a friend like you. Most girls would be intimidated by her beauty."

"That's what friends are for, right?" Ban grinned. "Thanks!"

Taking his sweet time, Ban smugly strolled back to the table where he found Kojio sitting with his hands folded in front of him. The snake man blinked, making sure this was the same disoriented, gabby windbag they had left a few minutes ago, and not the seemingly hard, cold and calculating stranger before him now. Whatever Ginji had done to stun the racketeer into unconsciousness had apparently knocked the lush out of him as well.

Now, Ban wasn't sure if he wouldn't have preferred to deal with a drunk Kojio rather than a sober, suspicious one.

To be on the safe side, he forced himself to sound a bit more feminine and phrased his words carefully. "Kojio-san, would you rather we continue our arrangement somewhere else?" Ban suggested.

Kojio answered with a greasy grin. "You read my mind." As he slowly stood up from his seat, Ginji and Kazuki arrived. Ban nodded while Ginji and the old man swapped curious glances, as if trying to snatch memories of the last half hour from each other in order to recall their own.

Kazuki regarded the blond's wavering expression as they let Kojio lead the way out. "May I know where we're going?" he asked.

"Some place on the hill. It's all been arranged," the man replied. His tone reeked of sinister anticipation.

The string master halted Ban half-way towards the club's doors. "There's something strange..." He said in a low murmur. "Ginji-"

"Miss Kazuki? Kazuki Keiko?"

He turned abruptly at the sudden interruption and found the emcee's hand on his.

"Could you come with us please?" She began pulling Kazuki to the bar.

"What? Wait, I don't... There must be some misunderstanding –" Flabbergasted, Kazuki stammered and struggled feebly. Yet, his genteel nature would not allow him to contend with this impudent girl. He followed reluctantly.

"Good luck!" Ban called out with a wave and a smirk.

Kazuki shot the Get Backer one final dirty look before disappearing into the rabble. Reaching the exit, Ban, Ginji, and Kojio assembled and took one last, sweeping scan of the club.

"Where's – what's her name?" The bag man inquired.

"Keiko. She decided she had a beauty contest to win," Ban shouted over the whoops, whistles and claps of the crowd as a couple of very pretty girls now stood on the bar counter in a line as their names were called.

"That's too bad. I like that one a lot," Kojio mused cryptically. He then went out.

"Kazuki Keiko!"

The Get Backers turned in unison and watched dumbfounded as a flustered Kazuki was hoisted up onto the bar in a graceful flutter of silks and long, brown tresses. Beheld by all eyes, the string master's presence was met by a few gasps piercing into the chorus of cheers. He was easily the tallest and most striking of all the contestants.

Ban pushed the interior doors open and marveled at his own genius. _Good riddance. _Sauntering past the Frau Uni-brow receptionist, the wig-less Ginji caught her discerning eye.

"Hey, boy! Get back here!"

"Oh, go and buy yourself some tweezers, you sow." Ban made snake eyes at her again. "That caterpillar on your forehead died with Frida Kahlo years ago."

With that, he and his partner stepped out of the club, grateful to breathe in the warm, muggy night air. The party atmosphere was in full swing and young, ostentatiously dressed youths milled about. Conspicuously standing amidst this dynamic scene were Kojio and two black suits in dark shades waiting for their car.

Ban narrowed his eyes and snorted. Good news? Yakuza bodyguards meant there was something worth protecting. Bad news? Getting out what they were protecting was going to be a pain in the ass for sure.

---

"We're on track, Ginji. I'm positive the goods are on him already," he whispered.

Ban realized Kojio was dealing with the big shots. Dogenzaka was closed to traffic at night, and to have a limo transport him meant territories were being crossed and sums of money were exchanging hands. As always, the brash brunette approached these changing circumstances with a mixture of cool anxiety and giddy expectation. Anxious, for the trouble they were getting themselves into; and expectant, of the huge financial payoff they'd receive after they completed the job.

Ban couldn't wait.

Ginji interrupted his partner's money reverie. "Ban-chan?" He asked quietly. "Am I still your boyfriend?"

With eyes bulging, he backed away slightly. _"What!"_

"You said a while ago..."

"Oh, that." For a moment he thought Ginji had mistaken him for Natsumi or someone. "Of course not, dummy. I just said that to protect you. You know, so he doesn't think you're gay."

"Why would he think that?"

"Duh... Look at yourself," he scowled. "This way, he won't make you do... stuff."

"What stuff? I don't get it."

"It's better if you don't. Just shut your trap and leave everything to me."

A black, Mercedes-Benz S-class sedan pulled over in front of the club, followed by another black car. One of the goons opened the passenger door of the limo and Kojio stepped in, while the other herded Ban and Ginji and made them go in after.

"Nice car," Ban complimented, making small talk as the car rolled smoothly away.

"Being connected in the movie industry has its perks," Kojio explained as he tapped the big, brown briefcase on his lap.

_Well-connected to the Yakuza, you mean._ Out of the corner of his eye, Ban studied the way the bag man held his case. Its presence put doubt back into his mind as to whether the drop had been made or not. If the briefcase contained cash, then it was possible the parts weren't in Kojio's possession yet and the Get Backers would be forced to stick with him until that time. Ban held back a frown.

"Your boyfriend doesn't talk much does he?" Kojio observed.

"Mm. Most geniuses are like that, I suppose."

The balding geezer chuckled softly. "I can guess who wears the pants in this relationship."

The two boys looked at each other, unsure of what the man was trying to imply.

After a relatively short drive, they approached the 'love hotel' district at the apex of Dogenzaka and the cultural complex of _Bunkamura__ (1)._

Ban found it funny that a mere hill separated this hotbed of wanton, animal activity from the home of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. He and Ginji peered through the windows at the rows of hotels with names such as 'Pleasure Chest', 'Les Couchez', and 'Hotel Rainbow', where tackily lighted gaudy structures stood side-by-side with square, concrete boxes.

They watched in fascination at the human dramas that played out on the hotel sidewalks, parking lots and entrances. In a span of just a minute, they witnessed a very young _kogal_ with pigtails dragging a slouched, old salaryman up some hotel stairs; a middle-aged couple on break from their kids, running from their parked car to an entrance while hiding their faces like criminals; and two teenagers who decided that walking up to a hotel and getting a room was too long a time to wait, so they started making out on the sidewalk.

These were scenes that were replayed and recreated all over 'Love Hotel Hill' and it was time for the Get Backers to stage a little drama of their own.

The limo made a turn and crawled into the garage of a small, starkly elegant stone modernist building quaintly called 'Hotel Serenade'.

Curiously, unlike the other establishments which had hordes of people passing in and out of their doors, this one was quiet and seemed unoccupied. If not for its brightly lit lobby and softly illuminating exterior lights, the hotel might as well have been closed.

The driver killed the car's engine whence the two bodyguards opened the passenger doors and the three stepped out. Ban quipped. "Kojio-san, it looks like we're the only ones here."

"Actually, we have the whole place to ourselves," he boasted as the guards escorted them out of the garage.

The dark-haired retriever's optimism lifted considerably. Now, he was one-hundred percent certain the Hotel Serenade was, in fact, the drop-off location – if the robot parts weren't already inside. In hindsight, it was the perfect hiding place. Anonymous, temporary and secure; with dozens of places to stash them in.

Ban started making preliminary plans in his mind as they entered the building. Ginji clutched his arm just like he did when they walked the streets of Dogenzaka, but surprisingly, he made no attempt to shake him off this time.

"I have a weird feeling about this," the blond commented nervously.

As is with most modern 'love' or 'leisure' hotels, gone were the rickety rat traps with the peeling yellow wallpaper and flickering fluorescent lamps where an ashen, liver-spotted hand behind a curtain would give you a room key in exchange for your money.

Instead, they stepped into an air-conditioned lobby tastefully done in dark, lacquered mahogany, Tiffany-style lights and plush red carpeting. And no longer was there a need to transact with the ghostly hand of an _obaasan_, but rather with a large high-tech panel displaying pictures of the rooms available and their prices per stay.

Ban counted the guards he could see at four; one posted near the entrance, one at the stairs and two in the lounge watching a baseball game on TV.

Kojio spent no time at all mulling over which room to choose. He pushed the overnight stay button on the board displaying Room 204, after which its light went out and a slot beneath it spit out a key card. During this brief process, Ban tried to examine the panel for details that might come in handy later.

Meanwhile, Ginji was staring longingly at the vending machines nearby. His stomach protested quietly.

The stair guard led them up the wide, curving staircase to their room on the second floor. The layout of the floor was such that it branched out into odd corridors with a room on either side. They found Room 204 in one of these corridors, its door just like all the others – dark wood against clean, beige walls. Its very plainness could be counted on to betray whatever debaucheries and carnal pleasures that lay inside.

The guard bade leave as Kojio inserted the key card into the door lock. Without hesitation or a smidgen of surprise, he strode right in.

Ban followed, taking two steps and then stopping dead in his tracks. His eyes swept over the large, dimly lit room, mouth dropping lower and lower as he caught detail after shocking detail. He didn't blame his feet for wanting to turn on their heels and run the hell away from there.

"Oh. My. God." He mouthed numbly.

Kojio placed the key card on the small, pink writing desk next to the door and tossed his heavy briefcase on the waterbed, causing it to ripple wildly. He closed the door after Ginji and began taking off his jacket.

"Make yourselves comfortable," the man said indifferently.

Ban gaped incredulously at the overstatement as he continued to be struck dumb by the sheer audacity of the space.

Theme rooms were common features in 'love hotels' and this unit was decorated exactly like a little girl's room. Complete with frilly pink curtains on the windows, pink study desk, adorable character lamps, a 'My Melody' wall clock and a 'Hello Kitty' duvet covering the bed; it could've been a place a ten-year-old would be proud to call her own.

The _kawaii _factor of the room designed to attract young women shouldn't have been a strange sight at all, except –

The room was bathed in red mood lighting and instead of a pretty canopy on the four poster bed there was a steel chain link curtain. Plus, there was a full-size medieval torture rack opposite the bed that was upholstered in pink vinyl. And next to that was a winch-controlled chain on the ceiling with two leather restraint cuffs on the end – also in pink.

To top it all off, up on the wall, there was a large, plush 'Hello Kitty' doll dressed in black leather bondage gear, with tiny handcuffs on its furry, white paws, a studded dog collar on the neck and a blindfold strapped around its round head.

To his horror, Ban realized Room 204 was the 'Hello Kitty S&M Dungeon'.

He had conjured up some pretty twisted nightmares in his years of using the Jagan, but never anything as bizarre as what he was looking at now. Begrudgingly, Ban bowed down to the sicko behind the whole concept. Even this was totally beyond his imagination.

"What a cute room!" Ginji raved as he crashed through the chains and plopped down on the bed. He reveled in its wave. "Wow! This is like sleeping on water!"

Ban's eyes crossed. Sometimes his partner could get unbelievably dense.

With his jacket and tie off, Kojio took his briefcase and headed off into the bathroom. The case must be full of money if he was taking it into the bathroom with him, the snake man thought.

Ban shook off his initial shock and got down to business. "Now's our chance, Ginji!" he crowed, yanking the lolling boy off the bed. "Look for a case, box, or something that resembles a package."

They looked in every nook and cranny of the room, but any evidence of a non-descript package in this pastel twilight zone would have been obvious by now.

Ban crouched down and peeked under the bed only to be face-to-face with a moldy piece of underwear. "Gah!" he hollered while crawling quickly away. "Sonofabitch! Doesn't anyone think to clean under the bed anymore?"

"Ban-chan! Lookee!"

The brunette Get Backer turned to find a black-and-white PVC spanking horse that looked exactly like Tare Panda – with tare-Ginji sitting astride it doing galloping motions.

"Horsey, horsey, horsey... Giddyup! "he sang happily, swinging his tiny, stumpy legs.

_Good lord..._Ban was totally weirded out. _What kind of deranged pervo wants to get spanked, flogged, or whatever over a freakin' doll?_

"Get off there, Ginji! You don't know what sort of nastiness has been on that thing," he barked. "You might get a venereal disease or something!" Ban made a face, rushed over to the chibi and pulled him off Tare Panda by his hair.

"What? Ouch!" the blond complained as he transformed back to normal size.

"Dimwit! Stop playing games!" his friend growled with urgency. "When Kojio comes out of that door, you distract him while I use the Jagan –"

Suddenly, the bathroom door creaked open and bright yellow light spilled into the dark space, temporarily blinding the Get Backers. When their eyes were finally able to focus through the radiance, the look on their faces was that of deer caught in headlights.

Inch by inch, they slowly backed away, big, fat sweatdrops forming on the backs of their heads.

"Ban-chan?" Ginji squeaked timidly. "Why is he dressed like that?"

For once in his life, the loudmouth didn't know what to say.

The sallow, clammy-skinned figure that stood menacingly before them wore nothing but black latex briefs and a black leather hood that totally enclosed his head. It was studded with steel spikes and zippers and was buckled around the neck. Instead of a mouth opening on the mask, there were three small grommets in its place while the eyes were covered in fine steel mesh.

Kojio Kiyoshi, nerdy techno crook and racketeer, had been replaced by the BDSM executioner from hell.

Ginji's hand clamped tightly around his partner's forearm. Amazingly, the intrepid, invincible Mido Ban found himself doing likewise. He gulped and muttered under his breath.

"Holy. Crap."

---

* * *

The concept behind Ginji's "pleasant" low-voltage current is inspired by the late 19th century medical practice euphemistically called "pelvic massage" that used electricity to supposedly "cure" hysteria. What it was, really, was the Victorian precursor to the modern vibrator. 

The violet colour is inspired by a certain implement which you'll find out about in the next chapter.

Yes. Amazingly, a 'Hello Kitty S&M Room' really does exist somewhere in a hotel in Osaka. Or so they say.

Bet you're wondering why I know all of this. Tee-hee.

**Next chapter : **The lines between nightmare and reality can be blurred, as the Get Backers find out.

**_(1) Bunkamura –_** Arts complex with excellent galleries and theatres. Site of Orchard Hall, home of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.


	11. Nightmare on Dogenzaka Street

**"Sum of the Parts"**

**Disclaimer : **The Get Backers aren't mine, but the villain in this chapter is. I'm getting rid of him, though. Promise:D

**A.N. : **My creepiest chapter… More about BDSM and all that stuff… Again, if you're weirded out by this kind of thing, my apologies in advance. Also contains a minor (or major, depending on your shock tolerance hehe) 'Kami no Kijutsu' Arc (manga) spoiler.

Gee. Warnings galore. Hmm, makes me wonder why I wrote this chapter hehe. Still appreciating your RR. Please tell me what you think, all righty? Thanks for tuning in!

ENJOY!

---

* * *

**_Chapter 11 : Nightmare on _****_Dogenzaka Street_**

Ban hated – feared – the unknown.

He hated – feared – that even with Yamato's death at his own hands and buying Himiko some time against the Voodoo Child curse, he didn't know for how long or what he might have to do when the time came for it to claim her.

He didn't know.

Now, Ban hated – feared – what this sick whacko would attempt to do to them. Mind you, not _physically_ – he and his 200kg grip could take this guy on with a little pinkie – but psychologically. And not for himself, really. Ban knew he was spoiled and jaded enough to let this pass as just one of man's many aberrations. But Ginji –

He didn't know.

"Shall we get started? You have –" The hooded head glanced at his wristwatch. " –about an hour to earn your fee." Kojio said this with the feckless efficiency of a middle manager reciting an itinerary. "Unless, of course, you want an extra hour or so, which I will be more than happy to oblige."

The boys could swear a vulgar grin was forming behind those three holes that substituted for a mouth.

Kojio sat on the edge of the bed and opened his briefcase which contained, not cold, hard cash as Ban expected, but an assortment of 'toys'.

"Errr… Pardon me," Ban finally piped up. Ginji was now hiding meekly behind his back. "Um… Just so that we're clear about this. What were the terms of our agreement again?"

The nearly naked prune chuckled and waved his finger. "Tsk. Tsk. Mistress Midori, you humour me. Look, be a good domina. I tell you what to do, name your price, and you get paid. Simple as that."

The Get Backer stood silently in disbelief. Even as his friend was concealed behind him, Ban wished he could further screen Ginji from this scene. While he spent his whole life trying to understand the dark side of human nature by observing and learning all there was to know about its depravities and fallibilities, Ban did not care to explain to Ginji some of the things that people did – especially if those were things he himself would never fully understand.

But Kojio had apparently hired a dominatrix and her slave. It was going to be a tricky business getting Ginji (and himself, to be honest) through this with his innocence intact, Ban thought agitatedly.

"Could you excuse us for a while?" With that, he zoomed into the brightly lit bathroom, dragging Ginji with him.

The door slammed shut. "Dammit! I didn't sign up for this!" Ban snarled in hushed tones. He clenched his fists so tightly his nails were about to draw blood. He waved one in his partner's face. "I don't care if she feeds us or that you have a ridiculous crush on her, but heaven help me if I don't murder Natsumi when we're through with this!"

"Ban-chan!" Ginji pouted. "It's not her fault. We didn't ask her…"

"… and then, I'm going to kill Clayman with my bare hands," he continued with his rabid rant. "… and after that, I'm – I'm gonna murder Natsumi again! Did she even know what she agreed to?"

"Ban-chaaan!"

Who was he kidding? Natsumi was just as uncorrupted as Ginji. How Ban managed to allow those two bumbleheads to dictate the course of this job was a mystery to him.

He anxiously paced the bathroom floor. "Well, I can't use the Jagan while he has that stupid mask on, and you can't use your lightning without – " he shot Ginji an accusing look. " –knocking him unconscious."

"On the other hand, I did swear I was going to collect on this asswipe no matter what."

Ginji usually knew he was in for trouble when yen signs replaced the pupils in Ban's blue eyes.

"Let's see how this plays out…"

"Ban-chan, what do you mean…"

"We sold for 180,000 yen, right?" he said with a sneaky, yet dangerous edge to his voice. "I say we give him his money's worth."

**-o- **

"Thirty thousand."

"Done."

Ban's steely eyes met the steel mesh of Kojio's executioner's hood as he briskly took the cash from the role-playing man with one hand and a ball gag with the other. He then turned and walked toward Ginji who – for 50,000 yen – had his arms above his head, with wrists cuffed to the chain that hung from the ceiling.

In the time it took for the Get Backer to span the distance between them, a whole silent conversation took place; Ginji, with his dark gaze probing deep into his best friend, knowing there was a point to his bondage, yet trying desperately to understand why; and Ban, answering with confident reassurance.

He stashed the money into Ginji's apron pocket and blocked him from Kojio's view.

"Ban-chan? Is this part of the mission, too?" For once, the blond seemed to serve as the voice of reason in their partnership.

"I know this is weird, but I need you to trust me on this," he whispered seriously. "Do you?"

However slight his nod, Ginji's clear eyes were without a shadow of doubt.

Ban smiled grimly. He took his partner's chin in his hand, gently put the gag into his mouth and then tied it behind his head. "Whatever happens, don't use your lightning, understand?"

A guttural sound of acknowledgement escaped from Ginji's throat. Exhausted and hungry, he didn't think he could summon enough energy even if he wanted to.

The masked wannabe executioner tossed a jockey's riding crop at Ban, which he easily caught. "Now, I want you to punish him. Hard," he demanded. "How much?"

Ginji stared with puzzlement at the crop which the snake man was slapping lightly into his palm.

"No." he replied flatly, dropping the implement to the carpet.

"What? I'm paying you –"

"No. You can't make that decision for me. This is a matter between me and him."

Kojio went rigid and balled his fists. Beads of perspiration were dripping from under the hood and down his flabby, pasty chest. His planned scene was falling apart before him, illusions of control slowly slipping away. Breathing heavily, the building anger and impatience in his voice betrayed his appearance.

"You are the dominant!" he growled. "What kind of _jo-osama_ **(1)** are you? Your boyfriend is your slave. Why don't you bend him to your will?"

Ban stood beside Ginji, a picture of calm defiance. "Temper, Kojio-san. You cannot call yourself a dominant if your control veers into violence…"

"How dare you!" the seething man shouted. "This is bullshit! You agreed to my terms!"

"You have it all wrong. I agreed to do what you want, but only on _my_ terms." Ban narrowed his eyes. "If you want someone to bow down to your will, then find your own slave. This one is mine."

"A true dominant-submissive relationship is a commitment rooted in mutual trust and acceptance. There is no point if one of the parties is hurt in any way. I'm certainly not going to do anything to hurt Ginji – not especially for your sake."

"'Hurt' is a relative term, only the people involved can define it and its limits for themselves. Whatever I do to Ginji, whether I tie him up, gag him, deprive him of sleep or food, or call him a blathering idiot; I do so only because he allows me to."

Ban threw a soft sideward glance at the uncomplicated boy. "But if he wanted all of it to end right now… All he has to do is say 'stop'. And I would. In a heartbeat."

Ginji couldn't determine whether this was just another of Ban's clever, pedantic drivel designed to hammer home a point or whether he really meant what he said, but something deep in his words caused Ginji's large eyes to mist up.

"Don't you get it Kojio-san? He controls me." Ban declared. "And therein lies the irony. In a responsible _seme-uke_ relationship, it's the sub, not the dom, who possesses the power. A dominant worth his or her title would never do anything against a submissive's – anyone's - will. That's not domination. That's just criminal."

The black-clad figure curled his lips into a sly, goading smile. "You wouldn't know anything about being criminal now, would you?

Ginji cringed. As usual, his cocky partner just had to rub it in.

A sensitive nerve was struck. Highly infuriated, Kojio's pallid body shook, his leather encased head puffing up and deflating with each hard breath. He reached into his briefcase on the bed and produced a strange rod with a rubber handle.

"If you're not going to do it, I will!" Kojio hissed as he crept slowly towards the Get Backers. "Remember, I own you two for the night, and you're not going anywhere until I get what I paid for."

He switched on the rod and suddenly the glass bulb attachment on its end glowed purple from the electrical impulses generated by the miniature Tesla Coil inside. The electricity looked exactly like the current Ginji discharged at Dolce Vita.

"This is called a 'violet wand' - for obvious reasons," he said gruffly as he waved the thing around. He then turned a knob and cranked it up until tiny bolts began threading out from beyond the glass. "Do you want to know what it does? In its lowest voltage it produces very pleasant sensations when in contact with the skin. But with 30,000 volts… well, I don't know anyone who has dared to find out."

"Would you like to be the first, sissy boy?"

"Mmmph! Mmmppph!" A muffled whine came from Ginji's throat.

"Shut up! Don't think I don't know that you slipped some kind of mickey into my drink at the club, making me pass out. You've been a _baaaad_ girl, Ginji."

Sneering, the masked man held the violet light up to the Get Backer's mesmerized face. His hand approached the fabric of Ginji's skirt.

"I wouldn't do that –" Ban began to shout.

_ZZZZZPPPT!_

He used his arm to shield his eyes as a green flash overwhelmed all of the other coloured lights in the dark room.

" – if I were you."

Kojio dropped to the floor with a dull thud. He was still holding the shattered wand.

Ban creased his forehead and stared forlornly at the crumpled figure. _Man…_ _Not again_… "Okay, that didn't work out as planned," he sighed. The geezer was supposed to receive a mere static ground from the wand attracting a passive current from Ginji's body. Obviously, passive was still quite active.

He quickly undid his best friend's gag and restraints. "Are you all right, Ginji? I'm so sorry we had to go all through that. Did he touch you in any way?" There was a mix of anger, concern and remorse in his voice.

"Not even close. I mean, why would he? What kind of strange game was he playing anyway?" Ginji assured his partner with a smile as he rubbed his sore arms.

Ban breathed a sigh of relief. He would never forgive himself if Ginji was hurt in that way.

"You're so smart Ban-chan. How did you know he was going to use that thing?"

"This prick's a techno geek. So, when I noticed that space-age looking, expensive new gadget in his briefcase – he being the typical nerd – I knew he would be dying to try it out. I just had to make sure he, uh, _showed_ it to you and not me."

"Hehe. I think I drained out most of its power. Still, I tried to warn him…" The blond, not realizing what Kojio had tried to do to him, sounded apologetic. "Really, I did."

"And I tried reason." Ban nudged Kojio's bare arm with his foot to check for movement. "I don't know why I even bother. Bad guys never listen to what I have to say."

"I don't think calling him a criminal qualifies as using reason," he chuckled.

"The truth hurts doesn't it?" The Jagan master paused. He put a hand on his pal's shoulder. "Speaking of which, all that stuff I said about you… I…"

Ginji's hand crossed over to cover his. "Don't worry, Ban-chan. I may not understand a lot about what's happening, but I always trust you to do what's best for me - for the Get Backers. I like us just the way we are right now."

Ban smiled, released his grip and lightly thumped Ginji on the forehead. "Idiot."

He then knelt down beside Kojio and noticed his labored breathing. He felt his wrist for a pulse. "Uh… We may have a problem here." Wrinkling his nose in annoyance, he added, "You may have overdone it a bit. I think this dillhole just went into cardiac arrest."

Ginji cocked his head dumbly.

"His heart just stopped."

"Oh, shit! We've got to do something then!" Panic immediately clouded Ginji's features like pie in the face. "Right?"

"Could you please remind me of the reasons why?"

"Ban-chan!"

"I know. I know." Ban sighed. "Well, you can try shocking him again. Like a defibrillator."

"Like the elevator?"

"Defib - Sheesh! Just zap him again, will 'ya?" He grabbed Ginji's hand and slapped it against Kojio's bare, cold, jiggly-like-Jello chest. "And go light on the juice this time."

"Yeccch! He's sweaty." He made a face and wiped his hand on his pinafore. Re-positioning his splayed fingers on the unconscious body, Ginji hesitated.

"What are you waiting for?"

The precocious boy looked up to his partner. "Should I yell 'clear' first before I do this? I always see doctors say so on TV and the movies…"

Ban blinked incredulously. "Uh, whatever. Knock yourself out."

"Mm." Ginji's eyes narrowed into happy slits. It was always nice to play pretend doctor. "Okay, here goes… _CLEAR!_"

**-o- **

"Hell no! I'm not doing mouth-to-mouth!"

"But he's not responding!"

"We'll send a condolence card…"

"Ban-chan!" Ginji implored desperately. "Please? It'll be just like that time you kissed Uryu…"

"Idiot! I did not kiss Toshiki!" Ban roared. "Besides, that was a life and death situation."

"And this isn't?" he frowned.

"Well… Yeah… I guess… But this jackass pervert is hardly a Toshiki…" Ban paused. He didn't know why, but that didn't come out sounding right.

For a while, the Get Backers traded barbs on the morality of resuscitating a gene pool reject like Kojio. Then their dilemma was solved when he stirred and began coughing behind his mask. Slowly, he propped himself on his elbows.

"What did you do to me?" he demanded fiercely.

"Hey! We just saved your life," Ban retorted in a shrill manner.

"You mean, you tried to kill me with some sort of stun gun, didn't you?" Kojio scooted backwards to the bed, reached into the briefcase pocket and pulled out a .45 semiautomatic.

The two men stepped back with surprise, their gazes locked onto the gleaming ebony of the muzzle.

"Fantasy time is over. You two are the worst whores I have ever encountered in my life!" He pointed the gun at Ban. "You! Cuff blondie to that rack, and no funny business or else your lover boy gets it in the head."

"Whoa… Let's not overreact here… Why don't we talk this over? You don't even have to charge us –"

"_NOW!_" The man cocked the weapon and swung it in Ginji's direction. "You're in no position to tell me what to do!"

Ginji held back his partner, nodded weakly and voluntarily got on the pink rack. As Ban clamped the metal braces around Ginji's wrists and ankles, he glowered at the faux executioner. "You're making a big mistake."

"Oh, really?" Kojio picked himself up, keeping his pistol aimed at the blond. "You low-class street urchins should know better. This is a _Yakuza_ safe-house. Anything goes here. And I seriously doubt anyone would care about you two nobodies if something were to, you know, happen." He adjusted the rack so that Ginji was perpendicular to the floor at an angle and facing the bed.

"I want you to watch while I teach your harlot girlfriend here the real meaning of domination."

"No!" Ginji shouted as he tried to squirm out of his shackles.

"Tell me if I read you right," Ban coolly requested as he held up his hands while Kojio held the gun under his chin. "You want to hurt me because I'm a substitute for your hen-pecking, slave-driving harpy of a wife –" Kojio unconsciously glanced at the accursed gold ring on his finger.

" – And you want to punish Ginji because you see yourself as a sniveling, dress-wearing sissy and you hate your pathetic self with the passion of a thousand hells."

"Why don't you do yourself a favor, grow some balls and just say _'stop'_?"

"_SHUT UP!_" Kojio hit the right side of Ban's face with his open palm.

"Arrrgghhh! Stop it! Stop it! Take me instead!" Ginji cried, jerking his arms to no avail until he scraped his wrists raw. He tried to harness as much of his electromagnetism as he could to snatch the firearm away from Kojio's hand. But he could hardly even sway the steel chains. To his terrified dismay, he realized he was already spent.

The hooded gangster jabbed the gun against the Get Backer's chest and forced him to walk backwards to the bed. "Tsk. Tsk. That's the problem with you. You can't have absolute power and control if you let feelings get in the way. That's lesson number one, Mistress Midori."

"Now get on the bed!"

"Do I have to?" Ban scoffed, adamantly defiant to the end. "I've already had you on top of me and I didn't like it one bit."

"Bitch!" Kojio violently struck Ban's head with the butt of his pistol and he fell helplessly through the chains and into the mattress.

"BAN-CHAAAN!" Ginji screamed.

"And that's lesson number two. You'll submit whether you want to or not. A true dominant needs no permission!"

_BANG!_

Suddenly, there was a loud crack, followed by the creak of splintering wood and a thin wisp of a lasso caught Kojio's wrist, pulling it and the gun away in one swoop.

The weapon sailed across the floor and stopped before a swathe of red and orange silk.

"Kazu-chan!" a greatly relieved Ginji exclaimed.

"Are you all right Ginji-san?" Kazuki asked without tearing his burning gaze away from Kojio.

"Aa. But Ban-chan…"

"Keiko? But I thought…" Kojio stammered.

"Didn't I tell you not to start the party without me?" the string master hissed. With one sweep of his arm, Kazuki trussed up the pale half-naked man like a dressed turkey. "So you like to tie people up, huh? Well, lucky for you, you'll be learning the finer points of bondage first-hand from the master. Mind you, I don't share this with just anyone. But you? I like you a lot…"

Like a spider, Kazuki strung a radial thread frame within the four posts of the bed and with one tug he hoisted Kojio up to this suspended web.

The bag man shrieked.

Ban cracked open an eye and gingerly felt the lump on his head. He immediately spotted floor-length brown hair through his hazy vision. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Saving your smart-ass," the _annaiya_ smirked as his nimble fingers whipped up the strings in an up-and-down, side-to-side motion with the grace of a ballerina. As Kojio was being enmeshed in the tight binds, the string glittered as it caught the light in its quick, interweaving dance across his body, slowly forming a tangled canopy above the bed.

"Do you know what _shibari_ is, Kojio-san?" Kazuki asked as he worked. The whimpering man shook his head. "It's a rope art that, when skillfully used to tie up a person, can produce pleasurable sensations from being under the pressure and strain of the ropes. They say it's quite, hmmm, erotic."

The racketeer began to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Unfortunately, this isn't it. Sorry."

"W-w-what?"

"I'm using a technique of Fuchouin Ryuu that's similar to the ancient rope torture of _hojojutsu _**(2)**. And I can assure you, it's considerably less pleasant than _shibari_, to say the least."

Kazuki finished his weave and was left holding a single length of string that was attached to the thread canopy.

"You have three options," he explained. "If I pull this string to the left, your binds will slowly pull your limbs apart until, one-by-one, they pop out of your sockets. I wouldn't choose this if I were you. It's not very pretty."

"If I pull to the right, the string will tighten around your wrists and ankles until they cut clean through. It's quick, but you'll probably bleed to death before anyone notices you're missing."

"Or, I can pull to the center and simply squeeze the life out of you."

By now, Kojio was sobbing, wailing and raining down sweat – and who knew what else – on the bed.

"Wait. I have a better option." Kazuki mockingly put a finger to his lips and looked up at the pitiful figure. "Why don't you tell me where the robot parts are and maybe, I'll let go of this string."

"So, what will it be?"

**-o- **

"…They're in one of the rooms… I don't know which… Oh God…I swear!" Kojio bawled, eyes wide open, tears streaming down his sweat-drenched face. His ridiculous black executioner's hood lay next to his head.

The Get Backers were crouched down beside the pathetic figure, who was left lying on the floor where he fell; after his cardiac arrest, after Ginji revived him – and after Ban took of f the mask and used the Evil Eye.

The brunette contorted his face. "My God. I can't believe how much he looks exactly like Gollum right now. Doesn't he, Ginji?"

He agreed. "Yesss, my preciousss…"

Ban looked at his friend funny and hit him on the chest with the back of his hand. "Man, you're worse than Emishi."

He stood up and dragged the still-dreaming Kojio by the arms towards the bed. Taking a pair of handcuffs from the BDSM goody briefcase, he cuffed the _hentai's_ hands to the bedpost and put the ball gag into his mouth.

"Kojio wanted Thread Spool that badly, fine, I gave him Thread Spool. Hope he's happy," the Jagan wielder snorted and then grinned wickedly. 'But boy, will he be surprised when he finds out Kazuki Keiko, his pretty Hollywood porn princess is actually a mega-android porn king."

"Ban-chan!" Ginji blushed, protesting half-heartedly. However, he smiled despite himself.

"A little after-service, that's all," Ban snickered. He then noticed his partner's gaze darting intermittently at the wall above the bed and raised an intrigued eyebrow. "Yo, Ginji! You keep looking at that freaky 'Hello Kitty' on the wall. What's up with that?"

The blond's face became overcast with endearing embarrassment at having been caught. "Oh, nothing. I just thought that, um, maybe, Natsumi-chan would like…" He bit his tongue, struggling for another way of saying what he really wanted to say. "… we haven't thanked her yet for helping us, have we?"

"Good grief! If you want to give her the toy then why don't you just say so?" the less romantic of the Get Backers sighed exasperatedly. He then jumped on the waterbed, wobbled a bit and ripped the doll from the wall. He thrust it into Ginji's arms.

"Considering what Natsumi got us into, I have to admit this is a very fitting souvenir. Sick, but fitting." Ban said matter-of-factly as he went over to the door. "But don't think you're the only one getting brownie points for this. The doll's from the _both_ of us."

Apparently, he forgot all about his earlier threat to murder Natsumi - twice.

"Of course. I knew you were a softie, Ban-chan, hee-hee!" Ginji beamed. "I'm sure she'll be so happy…" Suddenly, he loosened his embrace on the plushie and the corners of his smile fell. "But isn't this stealing?"

"It's not stealing, we're – " Ban came up with the most preposterous reason he could think of. " – _rescuing _poor 'Hello Kitty' from a lifetime of bondage in this hell-hole."

He pondered this for a while and then lit up. "You're right! We got back Kitty-chan's freedom! She's better off with Natsumi-chan anyway, no?"

Ban's jaw dropped open. The dork actually fell for it.

"Come on, let's split," he grumbled. "Little good the Jagan did. We still have to search all frigging rooms for the parts… Unless – "

Ginji inserted the keycard into the slot on the wall opposite the door knob. The LCD display flashed a monetary figure. "Hey, Ban-chan. This door won't open unless we pay 10,000 yen." He took out a few bills from his apron and began feeding the money slot. The blond turned chibi when he felt the snake's scorching eyes bore into him.

"You fool! Stop wasting our money!" Ban punted the flouncy periwinkle blue-and-white critter, sending him cannonballing through the chains on the bed and struck bulls-eye in the exact same spot on the wall just vacated by 'Hello Kitty'.

"Who needs cash when you've got this," he bragged and flexed his Snake Bite. Chibi-Ginji groaned his apologies and, together with pieces of masonry, crumbled face down into the waterbed.

With one effortless tug, Ban broke the door free from the frame just as Kojio awoke with a blood-curdling smothered scream that came from deep within his lungs.

The Get Backer's ears perked up. With fiendish mischief crossing his fine features, he turned and stood triumphantly over the pale, twitching form like the goddess Artemis about to spear the killing blow into the heart of her fallen prey.

"Did you have a nice dream?" Ban bent down and flashed a Cheshire Cat grin. "Your lovely Keiko turning into a transvestite Terminator must've been quite a shock, huh?"

He slowly started taking off his false eyelashes one after the other, flicking them like bugs into Kojio's face.

"Unnnh… Ummmpphh…" The sadist's eyeballs started jumping out of their sockets.

Next, Ban wiped off as much of his lipstick with the back of his hand.

"But one nightmare is not enough for you – " He then dug his fingers under the band of the black wig and dramatically tore it off his head.

Ban's voice deepened. " – Asshole."

He shook loose his disheveled brown spikes and leaned his stern, sharply handsome face close to Kojio's terror-stricken one.

"Oh, you didn't know Mistress Midori was actually a 'mister'?"

"Mmmppph!" The flaccid man shouted through his gag and then fainted.

Ban put the discarded wig snugly on Kojio's balding head and ambled out. "Dominate the Get Backers, will you?" he sardonically sniffed.

"…In your dreams."

They closed the wretched Room 204's door behind them. While Ginji used what was left of his electricity to solder the doorknob bolt to the jamb, he wondered out loud, "You don't think he'll have another heart attack, do you?"

"Nah," Ban chuckled and shook his head. "But I'm guessing he'll be suffering from a case of the night sweats for a while."

Ginji finished sealing the door. "So, where do we go from here?" Surely, we have to search all the rooms, right?"

"Hmmm…. Maybe not," he replied thoughtfully. "It's a long shot, but I think the display board in the lobby will tell us where the targets are."

"Now, let's get back those parts, shall we?"

"Finally." Ginji smiled.

---

* * *

Was it pure evilness? Tell me. I need to know. Pretty please? Thanks:D 

Anyway, the Dominant-Submissive segment of this fic was a slight commentary on the perceived non-sexual _seme_ (Ban) / _uke_ (Ginji) relationship of the Get Backers. I always wondered why Ginji would consistently tolerate Ban's "abuse", but in Ginji's mind, it's probably all harmless. And the positive aspects of their relationship far outweigh the silliness of their roughhousing. At least that's the way I see it. Hope my point got through. If not, that's all right, you can tell me. :D

Yes. There is such a thing as a "violet wand".

For the record, I am not a practitioner of BDSM, just fascinated by its psychology, hehe.

Oh, and I'm aware that the 'zaka' in Dogenzaka means 'street'. So Dogen-'street' St. is redundant. But can I ask you to please work with me for the sake of the title? Thank you. :D

**_Next chapter :_** After all the Get Backers went through, there is a pay-off, right? Right? Right.

**_(1) jo-osama : _**literally, mistress.

**_(2) Hojojutsu : _**a traditional Shinkoku Period Japanese martial art of restraining prisoners using just one piece of rope and an intricate series of knots, resulting in long-term nerve and circulation damage or death. The more basic techniques are still being taught for police work.


	12. Some of the Parts

"**Sum of the Parts"**

**Disclaimer : **If I said I actually owned the Get Backers you wouldn't believe me anyway. :D

**A.N. : **Finally, a chapter that has something to do with the title of the fic, hee-hee. This is Chapter 12 of what will probably be a fourteen chapter story. So, I'm almost done with this. I really must end Ban and Ginji's suffering soon (and just in time for my holiday in Australia /yahoo/).

Based on your unanimous opinion that the last chapter was evil, I'm now convinced that I must get help. Thanks:D But the evil doesn't end there. Not by a long shot.

ENJOY!

---

* * *

**_Chapter 12 : Some of the Parts_**

Ginji lurked in the shadows of the stair landing between the ground and the second floors. He drew his tongue against his teeth and called. "Pssst..."

The guard at the foot of the staircase jerked his head to both sides trying to locate the sound.

"Pssst... Up here."

The man in black turned and glanced up at the blond boy in the blue dress holding a stuffed animal. _Definitely retarded_, he thought. He wondered what his boss was thinking, dealing with the likes of Kojio who had the weirdest taste in whores and boytoys. _Must be an L.A. thing._

The goon climbed up the stairs. "What's the matter, retard? Is he done already?"

Ginji pouted and backed up a step. He clutched the toy against his chest. "Um... We s-sort of have a problem," he stuttered. "Mido- The girl... well, er... she's handcuffed to the bed and Kojio-san can't seem to find the key, so... we kinda need your help to get her out of them."

"Really?" A lewd grin wormed its way across the henchman's pock-marked face. He drawled. "_Suuure..._ I'll be glad to help."

As the Get Backer ran up first, the guard eagerly rushed behind, luridly anticipating the kinky scene ahead. He followed Ginji past the first corridor after the stairs only to have a 200kg grip suddenly slip around the side of his neck.

Ban exerted just enough pressure around the man's windpipe to knock him unconscious, wiping the stupid smile off his face in the process.

"Men," the sea-urchin head snorted as he and Ginji dragged the body into a nearby supply room. "Count on them never to resist a free glimpse of a naked handcuffed chick."

Not that Ban wouldn't have had the same exact bawdy reaction – provided he wasn't the naked chick in question.

As they gagged and tied the bodyguard up with torn strips of sheets, Ginji tweaked the guy's ear.

"What did you do that for?" His partner raised an eyebrow.

"That's for calling me a retard," he said. "Who's he calling retarded when he actually believed your story? I mean, why would anyone willingly want to be handcuffed to a bed, anyway? It doesn't make sense."

Ban turned his back to his friend and hid a snicker. So far – incredibly – Ginji's innocence was escaping relatively unscathed in this Sodom and Gomorrah hotel.

"Yeah, what a dummy," he agreed with a knowing smile. He then made one last knot in the goon's binds and tip-toed out the room. He scanned the hallway.

"We're clear." The Get Backers quietly crept down the stairs and stopped just before getting off. Ban's eyes swept the area below and beyond trying to locate an ideal, inconspicuous place for him to look at the electronic room board. Spotting a good vantage point just behind a couch down in the lobby, he motioned for Ginji to stay where he was.

The spiky-haired man used his gift of speed to instantly transport himself from stairs, to the opposite wall, to the couch. He noticed that the door guard was standing near the lounge, with one eye on the entrance and the other on the TV.

Ban cautiously peeked his head over the sofa back. But out of the corner of his eye he saw Ginji waving his hands wildly.

"What?" he mouthed back irritably.

His partner pointed at his own head and smoothed down his hair. Apparently, not even a bad case of wig hair had been able to tame the stiff brown needles poking out of Ban's head – which were highly visible above the couch.

"Geez!" he grumbled and hid his noggin low. Trying again, this time while clamping his hair down with his hands, Ban peered at the brightly lit panel.

He remembered that the light went off the board of Room 204 when Kojio selected it, meaning it was occupied. And since there were no other guests in the hotel, it should be suspicious if room boards other than 204 were unlit. To his utmost delight, Ban counted three other panels that were darkened. That signified someone – something – was inside these rooms, and he was betting his moolah it was the parts.

The Get Backer was now glad he took the time to observe the lighted display earlier, for though he couldn't read the room numbers, he knew the panels were arranged horizontally in numerical order, in rows representing floors, from bottom to top. From this, Ban deduced the target areas were Rooms 309, 405 and 501.

Ban gave Ginji the thumbs up and stealthily retraced his steps back to the stairs.

"So you know what rooms to go for?" Ginji whispered as they ascended the stairs, keeping their backs to the wall.

"Mm. I've narrowed our search down to three rooms. We'll start with the one on the third floor."

"Only three? That's great, Ban-chan! You're so clever!" the blond gushed.

"Naturally," Ban mentioned off-handedly. The boys checked the hall for signs of guards. With none present, they dashed up the next flight.

On the nearly identical third floor, they found Room 309 near the fire escape. The retrievers positioned themselves on each side of the door before they barged in.

"Look, I don't know if there are any guards inside or how many," the snake man cautioned. "How's your electricity?"

"Dunno. I think I'm nearly drained out," his friend admitted. If it was any indication of the understatement, Ginji's stomach loudly agreed as well.

"Tch. Okay, just cover me then. If someone attacks you, er, bop him with the 'Hello Kitty' or something." Ban sighed, gripped the handle and broke it loose from the jamb. Swinging the door, his eyes met white light, white walls, white everywhere, with shiny glints of stainless steel here and there.

_Wow. This just keeps getting better and better_, a totally floored Ban thought.

"A doctor's clinic?" A nonplussed Ginji scratched his head. "With a full-size bed?"

Actually, it was a so-called, duh, _'white room'_ where couples who were into that sort of fantasy could play doctor-nurse, doctor-patient, nurse-patient, doctor-whatever. Except for the pristine bed, which no one probably used anyway, the room had all the 'appropriate' hospital equipment; trays with medical instruments, rolls and rolls of bandages, an exam table, and the _piece de resistance_ – an OB-GYN chair, which was now occupied by a black suit watching TV.

"Who the hell are you?" the guard yelled, not appreciating the Get Backers interrupting his soap opera. He tried to get off the seat, but this being the chair that it was - tilted at a compromising angle, with his feet in the stirrups... well, he sort of knew he was doomed.

"Your anaesthesiologist, you twit!" Ban replied, knocking the gangster out cold with a punch to the face. "Go Ginji, while I tie this guy up!"

As spiky practically mummified the man to the chair with the white cotton bandages, Ginji searched the room, trying hard not to be distracted by the shiny tools and implements that aroused his curiousity. He looked behind a hospital dressing screen and found two metal cases, one much longer than the other.

"Got something!" he whooped and took the load to his partner.

"All right!" Ban exclaimed, eyes glittering like stars. He stuffed a leftover bandage roll into the guard's mouth. "Scan it."

Ginji took out his I.D. scanner from his apron pocket and passed it over the ridged cases. One after the other, he got a confirmed beep and an I.D. number on the digital screen.

"Two targets acquired. On to the next," Ban announced victoriously as he and Ginji carried one package each and exited the bright, sterile room.

Out in the corridor, the Jagan master snuck his head out into the hallway and eyed the fire exit door. He then turned to his pal. "Why don't you check out the fire escape, see if there are any guards at the bottom. If not, bring the parts out into the landing and leave them there. We'll come back for them on the way down the escape, got it?"

"Mm. You can count on me," the blond smiled.

"Good. Meet me at Room 405 after you're done."

The Get Backers went in opposite directions, Ginji lugging the parts to the exit, and Ban, prowling up to the fourth floor.

---

The brunette stood before the door of Room 405 and cracked his knuckles. He'd probably have to deal with just one guard most likely. _Piece of cake._ Though he wondered what kind of assault on his sanity this room would be. Ban let his imagination run wild. Maybe this one would be designed like the inside of a spaceship where someone could pretend to be an abductee to another's probing alien. Or maybe a mock morgue complete with autopsy table...

_Ecchh..._ he shuddered. With his adrenaline still in a rush from their first successful find, Ban felt like kicking something, so instead of using his Snake Bite, he kicked down the door.

The scream that followed almost busted his eardrums.

Ban stared stupidly as he caught a couple _in flagrante_ _delicto_. The _Yakuza_ bodyguard quickly rolled off his moll and they frantically pulled up the bed sheets to cover themselves. Obviously, the guy was mixing the Boss's business with his own pleasure.

The room itself was tame in comparison to the 'Sanrio' dungeon and the 'white room'. Bathed in blue light, it was some sort of aquarium-themed unit with one of those funky rotating lamps that projected moving images onto the wall so that it looked like fish were swimming around underwater.

Ban was expecting some whacked-out room – but not this.

"What the fu – "the goon started to curse angrily while his crimson-haired punk girlfriend glowered. But he stopped when he noticed the slinky, black-clad silhouette, the pale skin, and the narrow, cold flashing eyes against the blue, inky darkness of the room. He began to cower and hold the sheet tighter to himself.

"D-d-d-Doctor Jackal? Oh my God!" he cried and used the girl as a shield.

_The hell? And I'm not even wearing the wig anymore!_ Ban thought with an aggravated roll of his eyes. Suddenly, he heard the unmistakably heavy footfalls of Ginji's step.

_Dammit!_ The boy didn't need to see any of this. He slammed the door forcibly behind him.

Ginji was just inches from the door when it swung. He called happily, "Ban-ch –"

_BAM!_

The Akabane doppelganger tucked a chair under the doorknob, locking the hapless Ginji out_. Fine, I'll play along._ Better everyone thought Jackal was the intruder rather than the Get Backers.

"That's right," he tried to approximate the psychopath's satin-smooth voice as he skulked like the shadow of death towards the terrified couple. Ban almost wished he had some glow-in-the-dark thingies between his fingers to complete the charade. Because he was nothing if not a stickler for authenticity.

"I think you have something that belongs to my client?"

"It's over there! Take it! Take it!" With a trembling finger the henchman pointed meekly at the bathroom. He whimpered squeakily. "Just... just... don't carve a 'J' into me, please? I beg you..."

The Romeo then shoved his girlfriend in his direction. "Here, if you want, you can take her, too."

Now he was insulted. Even Akabane was some sort of babe magnet. Ban wondered why no one ever threw girls _his_ way.

"You shit-for-brains sonofabitch!" the moll shrieked. She let go of her cover, and not caring whether Ban / Dr. Jackal was watching or not, began a nude full-blown attack on her classy boyfriend.

Stunned and amused at the same time, Ban backed away slowly towards the bathroom door and collided with a large steel case. While the couple continued to go at it like a pair of Tasmanian Devils, the Get Backer scanned the trunk and got a positive reading.

He took the case by the handle and stood up with a self-satisfied smile. He regarded the nincompoops on the bed in front of him and decided he just couldn't leave without some Akabane-esque adieu.

"Ahem..." Ban cleared his throat loudly through the profanity-filled bickering.

The bed-mates abruptly stopped. "Um... You're not going to kill us now, are you? Please, Akabane-san. I've got a wife and kids – " the guard sniveled. His last revelation was answered by a hard slap to the face by the girl.

The impostor chuckled softly and put a finger to his lips. "As long as you keep quiet I'm not going to stick scalpels into you. Actually, you guys are doing a pretty good job of it yourselves."

"Besides, I measure job satisfaction by how much fun I have. And I certainly had fun watching you two. Thanks." With an icy laugh, Ban waved and left with his loot out the door.

In the fishbowl darkness, the clueless couple exchanged puzzled looks. "What the hell did he mean by that?" the gangster moll asked.

"Beats me. Maybe he likes watching people do it." The _Yakuza_ footman twisted his face in disgust. "Not only is Dr. Jackal a homicidal maniac he's a sicko voyeur as well? Damn! Wait till the guys hear about this..."

---

Ban closed the door to that piranha tank behind him while Ginji tried to catch a glimpse inside. He was holding his nose.

"Geez, Ban-chan... Why'd you slam the door in my face?" he whined nasally. "You almost broke my nose."

"Er... An almost-broken nose is better than a bleeding one. Which probably would've happened if you were in that room." Ban mumbled.

"Why would my nose bleed?"

"Ah, Ginji. You'll find out soon enough."

"When?"

The partners rolled the trunk to the fire escape. A blast of outside air blew their hair gently as they parked it on the landing. Ban tried to change the subject, albeit just slightly. "Hey, did you know that more than a quarter of all Tokyo-ites below age twenty-five were conceived in a 'love hotel'? Who knows? Maybe you started life in this exact same place right here."

Ginji briefly looked up at the clear, star-filled sky with its smiling waxing moon. "Yeah. Who knows?" They softly tread up the steel steps to the fifth level. "And you? Where do you think you were conceived?"

Ban slowed his climb, his eyes downcast. "Heh. I'm an accident that never should have happened."

"Ban-chan, don't say that," Ginji gripped the railings and turned to his partner with those infinitely deep brown eyes. "Maybe we're both unwanted freaks who shouldn't have been born. And I think that's why we're still alive – why we're Get Backers."

The corners of the cursed man's mouth lifted. _And they say I'm the smart one._ Ban shook his head, caught up with Ginji at the fifth floor exit and slapped him on the back. "Okay, last one. I'm sure these will be the heads. So let's not screw this up."

"Gotcha." The blond nodded enthusiastically.

The Hotel Serenade's top floor was devoted to large penthouse suites. There were no corridors to maneuver, only one hallway of which at its end stood the double doors of Room 501.

Ban and Ginji each positioned themselves in front of the two doors.

"On my mark," Ban whispered. "One... Two... Three... Now!" They kicked the doors in unison, opening with an unbridled flourish. As the two boys rushed in, Ban's first thought was that this could've been the most normal room he'd seen so far in this hotel if not for –

"Holy cow!" Ginji stopped and marveled with awe at the elegant Roman baths-inspired interior. "There's an actual swimming pool in this room!"

Suddenly, from behind a wall dividing the pool area from the sleeping quarters, a surly-looking bodyguard appeared carrying a large black duffel bag. Unlike the others, this one seemed a tad more gung-ho and serious about his role in this caper. And apparently, quicker to the draw.

"Hey!" the gangster yelled. Sparing no more words, his gun-toting arm swung up with a metallic 'click'.

"Ban-chan! Watch out!"

Ginji launched his whole body at the attacker, grabbed his shooting hand and tackled him – and the bag - straight into the swimming pool with a tremendous splash.

The guard did manage to get off one shot, though, which hit a glass-framed portrait just inches from Ban's spiky head.

"Ack!" Ban gasped. He was absolutely mortified. Not because he almost got half his brains blown off, but because the bag, which likely contained the heads – sensitive, electronic, computerized A.I. robot heads – was in the _water_. With the electric eel man.

Meanwhile, the combatants in the pool emerged from under. For a moment, they glared at each other. Then the grunting boor lunged ferociously at Ginji with a giant fist. He avoided the blow by arching back and dropping again into the water as paper bills filed out of his apron and began to rise and unfold on the surface like blooming lotus flowers.

But Ginji quickly jumped out, extended his arms and held his palms just above the pool. "Eeeee-yaaaaghhh!" His voice thundered.

Orbs of energy effused from the Get Backer's fingertips and electrified the water, briefly colouring it a brilliant turquoise. The pugnacious guard finally belly-flopped into its depths.

All this time that was happening Ban stared petrified, down-turned lip trembling, eyes unblinking; seeing nothing but images of frying circuits, water pouring out of metal orifices and money flapping out of the water and flying up and away like a gaggle of geese frightened by a gunshot.

"G-g-g-g-gaah..." he gurgled unintelligibly while watching the bag bob in and out, wildly riding the wave of this money-strewn, static electricity crackling sea.

Ginji dragged the goon out of the water before he drowned and then retrieved the half-submerged duffel which he handed over to his visibly shaken partner. Ban anxiously ran his I.D. scanner over the dripping package and heard two confirmation beeps. But he could distinctly feel three box-like shapes inside the bag and feared that maybe one of the heads was damaged. Again, he could hear the resonant _ka-ching_ ringing in his ears.

The blond placed his hands on the edge of the pool and began to haul himself out when a foot lightly crunched on his fingers. Ginji's eyes volleyed upwards with confusion.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" With arms akimbo, Ban haughtily tapped his shoe on his friend's hand.

"Ban-chan..." Ginji groaned, knowing exactly what he meant.

"No one leaves 80,000 yen floating in the water. No one," the snake man admonished. "Now go collect it while I look for other packages."

Ban walked into the bedroom and found a stainless steel briefcase in the middle of a humungous, Roman orgy-worthy bed. The scanner went bonkers as it picked up reading after reading, at which he realized the case contained software and chips. The Get Backers really hit the mother lode. Kojio's horde was enough to assemble a complete, fully functional android.

The job done, Ban strode out with a swagger.

"You missed one over there in the deep end," he said while passing Ginji as he continued to muck through the cold water with his skirt billowing around his waist like a powder blue lily pad.

"Well, I'd appreciate it if you'd help me, _partner_," Ginji answered sardonically as he swam to the opposite end of the pool.

"And get this dress wet? I don't think so," the echidna head sniggered, following Ginj to the last _go-sen_ **(1)**. Ban held out his hand and pulled the soaking wet Get Backer out, who thanked his friend by shaking briskly like a dog and spattering drops all over him.

"Very cute, moron," he wiped his face, not knowing that doing so made his makeup run slightly. The duo looked at each other with a vainglorious shimmer in their eyes.

"We are freakin' geniuses, if I may say so myself," Ban boasted.

"The Get Backers' success rate –"Ginji exclaimed joyfully.

"– still at one-hundred percent!" he completed for him. "Come on! We're _so_ outta here."

And with that, they left the bizarre Hotel Serenade – way station to hell – far, far behind.

---

Dogenzaka was a considerably different place during the witching hour. The flock was just as swarming but lost was most of its prettiness and verve. Now, its children were merely dazed shells of their former selves; overdosed on sensory panaceas and their own self-abuse. Even the smells were funkier, its sounds more monotonous.

As they walked back down this street of escapist fantasy, Ban and Ginji certainly looked like victims of Dogenzaka's nightly curse. Without their wigs, hair in disarray, makeup smeared, and clothes wet and rumpled, the Get Backers looked like a pair of tranny club kids who'd just had a really rough time – in more ways than one.

Even people used to seeing the underground ribaldries of Shibuya, Shinjuku and Roppongi did double takes at the strange sight of two cross-dressers towing big-ass metal trunks and a 'Hello Kitty' doll.

But none of that could erase the silly smiles off the partners' weary faces. In fact, this was the first time that night they felt pretty good.

Although an expected payoff of over five million yen will usually do that.

Out of Dogenzaka finally and in an alley on a hill in a quieter part of town, Ban surveyed the lights in the horizon and mentally added the street, together with Mugenjou, on his list of places he'd try to avoid like the plague from now on. He turned and opened the rear door of the Ladybug.

"What I'd do to carpet bomb that whole area," the brunette snorted as he and Ginji loaded the cases into the trunk and the backseat.

"Eh, I kind of like Dogenzaka myself," Ginji shrugged shyly. "I think it's an interesting place."

"Don't like it too much 'cause we're not coming back," Ban swore gruffly as he slipped off the black skirt and top ensemble, stuffed his junk into his jeans pockets and unhooked the brassiere from his chest.

"Be gone, infernal bra!" he commanded, swinging the underwear a few times and carelessly flinging it – and the wads of tissue paper – into the backseat. "Whoo... It's so great to be _me_ again at last!" _Ore-sama _**(2)** began searching the car for his trademark tailed polo shirt.

"Oi, Ginji. Where are our clothes?" he frowned. "Didn't I tell you to bring them to the car after we dressed?"

"I thought you were," the blond replied while putting his gloves back on.

"Nah-uh, not when that damn bird was stalking me," Ban sighed. "Sheesh... Remind me never to ask you a favor while you're flirting with Natsumi, 'cause you sure as hell aren't going to listen."

"I wasn't flirting," he denied unconvincingly.

"Yeah, whatever." He then put the black jacket back on and combed out his stiff spikes with his fingers. In the leather and blue jeans getup, the _dakkanya_ now assumed the appearance of a glammed out J-rocker.

Ginji giggled. "That's cool, Ban-chan. You look just like a member of Glay **(3)**."

"You think so?" He puffed up like a peacock and smirked. "Though I'm probably ten times better looking than any of those old timers. You, however – "Ban viewed his friend doubtfully "– still look like a girl. And holding that doll isn't helping any."

Ginji pursed his lips and eyed his best friend sulkily from under his brows. By doing that he wasn't helping himself either.

Ban, the rock star, got into the driver's seat and put on his much-missed purple glasses. He keyed the ignition. "Who cares, anyway? We're home free, right?"

Someone really needed to hammer into his spiky head that he shouldn't speak too soon.

**_-_**

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_**

**_Next chapter :_** lt's smooth sailing for the boys, right? Duh. These are the Get Backers we're talking about.

**_(1) go-sen :_** 5000 yen bill

**_(2) ore-sama :_** literally, "Lord Me"

**_(3) Glay :_** hugely popular Japanese rock band. But then again, you probably knew that :p . As for comparisons to our Ban-chan, just take a look at Hisashi and you'll know what I'm talking about. :D


	13. Bump Ahead

"**Sum of the Parts"**

**Disclaimer : **Nope. Still not mine.

**A.N. : **This fic is winding down, but for the Get Backers, the night is still young and full of surprises /wink/. Thanks for tuning in and as usual, your R R is greatly appreciated.

ENJOY!

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**_Chapter 13 : Bump Ahead_**

As the 360 sped north on the wide, empty expanse of highway from Shibuya to Shinjuku, Ginji stood on the passenger seat with his body through the sunroof. Ecstatically, he threw his arms out to his sides and let the summer night air dry him off, feeling the salty-moist sea breeze from Tokyo Bay to the east cool his hot, flushed cheeks and rustle through his damp hair.

Ginji's stomach continued to growl, but no matter. _Sukiyaki, here I come!_ He drooled and glanced at the toy lodged between the shattered windshield and the dashboard, thinking what a sweetheart Natsumi was for waiting and staying up late to feed him and Ban. He knew a stuffed animal wouldn't be enough thanks for all she did for them that day.

"Ban-chan! Let's get fried chicken later for lunch," Ginji yelled above the buzz of the Ladybug's whining engine. He shifted his train of thought figuring he could worry about thank you's later.

"– And a deluxe sushi platter for dinner!" Ban hollered back.

"– Oh, and steak, eggs, and blueberry pancakes for breakfast!"

"_Ggggghhh..._" The snake man slobbered and then shook his head. "Stop it, Ginji! You're making me lose concentration of the road!"

"Hee!" Ginji lost himself in illusions of food, Natsumi's cheery smile and days with Ban finally in good spirits.

Suddenly, out in the lamp-lighted distance he thought he caught a brief glimmer of metal. And a few metres after, another. Then as the car got closer, Ginji could clearly make out the ends of a white bandanna fluttering in the wind.

"Look! Pull over, Ban-chan! It's Shido!" Ginji exclaimed and waved his arm wildly. "Shido! Shido-nii!"

As they closed range, Ban muttered expletives under his breath and wrapped his fingers tightly around the steering wheel as if he were trying to fuse them together. He imagined what monkey roadkill would look like – a large, greasy spot festering and being run over thousands of times in the middle of the highway. His lips curved into a maddening jester's smile.

"Er, Ban-chan..." As if having read his partner's mind, Ginji peered down and almost thought he caught Ban step harder on the accelerator and turn the wheel ever so slightly towards the trudging figure. Surely he wasn't thinking of doing such a thing.

Still, that _was_ Ban in the driver's seat.

"First Thread Spool and now the gorilla. Perfect," Ban complained, grudgingly honking his horn to announce his presence. "Is Tokyo really so small that we have to keep running into your annoying old gang?"

He swerved the car into the opposite lane, slowed down and passed the tall, hale man who was carrying three identical metal cases; two in his hands and one like a backpack. To the Get Backers' amazement, a fourth case was being pulled on its rollers by a large brown dog.

Ban parked on the shoulder and Ginji turned to greet the Beastmaster. "Shido! You finished your job, too?"

"Sure did, Ginji! Boy, am I glad to see –"he shouted back and then cut himself off. Blinking rapidly, Shido didn't know who – or what – the hell he was talking to. He stormed over to the Ladybug and angrily dropped the packages. For a split second, he forgot all about Madoka and secretly wished he, Ginji and Kazuki were all back in Mugenjou if it meant not having to see the former ruler of Lower Town look like a goddamn Goldilocks.

"Ginji..." Shido lamented. The blond smiled sheepishly and shrugged. His ire shifted towards the snake. "Did the bastard put you up to this?"

"Hey! Don't diss our techniques. I didn't put him up to anything!" Ban snarled as he drummed his fingers on the wheel acrimoniously. "You use your dumb animals on the job, we used our feminine charms."

Shido bent over and scrutinized the driver's cheeky bleached face and smudged, heavily painted dark eyes. He guffawed. "You too, then? Ha! You must've made a really, really scary chick – like Dr. Jackal in drag, hehehe."

Ban threatened to gnash his teeth to the gums. "For the last time, I'm not Akabane in a skirt, dammit!" He reached out an arm and pulled the beast man's head through the window by his medallion. "Look, Monkey Trainer, you going to stand there and be a fashion critic or are you getting in?"

"Sheesh! Settle down, reptile," he retorted, karate-chopping Ban's hand off.

Ginji exited the car and went over to his former lieutenant's side. "Don't mind him. He's been worried about his looks all night."

"Ugh! And you weren't?" Shido tore at his hair seeing the full damage of the Thunder Emperor's effeminization - the horror of knee-high socks, platform wedges and a white, ruffled pinafore.

Ban got out and sat on the hood of the 360. Lighting a much needed cigarette, he scoffed. "Why should he? Dressed like that, Ginji literally had girls – and men – falling at his feet."

"_Ban-chaaan_," the golden boy disagreed, cheeks going rosy. He quickly changed the subject. "Come on, Shido. I'll help you strap those cases to the roof.

While the two former Volts roped the four rectangular containers on top of the Ladybug, Shido couldn't help but inquire, "What happened to your windshield?"

"As if you don't know –"Ban growled skeptically.

"I don't."

"Your stupid sparrow did this."

"Umm... Actually, Ban-chan threw a rock at it and guess where it landed," Ginji snickered.

"Shut up, dork!"

Shido exploded into a great, booming laugh. "You couldn't leave well enough alone, could you? You're such a lame-ass."

"- And I have a right mind to charge you for encouraging it to seek retribution, ape man." Ban threatened.

"I did no such thing, you paranoid jerk!"

"Tch!" Ban then gazed inquisitively at Shido's haul. "Not bad, zoo keeper. And where did your lackeys happen to find these babies?"

"Hidden in a gang-controlled junkyard near here," he grunted. Then a competitive gleam passed over his steel-gray eyes. "From the looks of them, I'd say they're all torsos. Probably worth close to five million, you think?"

The brunette Get Backer's eyes matched Shido's shine for shine.

"Hmph! Well we have enough parts to make a complete robot. Plus, we've got all the heads. Six million easily. Beat that."

"Yeah, but mine's still bigger," Shido continued to bluster as he tugged at the ropes more forcefully.

"You ignoramus! Don't you know that size doesn't matter, but rather, it's how the parts are used?" Ban fumed.

"Heh. Easy for you to say. People who claim size doesn't matter don't have it to begin with."

"–And when you say 'it', what exactly are you referring to, baboon brain?" Ban jumped off the Subaru and bashed one of the cases with his fist, denting it.

Like a mongoose putting a cobra on the defensive, Shido dared his rival to strike first. Smiling, his gaze dropped. "What do you think?"

"Why you – " The two then grabbed each other's collars and butted spiky heads, sending them crashing onto the car hood.

"Now, now, guys! Let's not fight. We're all going to get paid a lot –" Ginji helplessly tried to break up what was turning out to be a contest to see who was the biggest tool. The poor lad still thought the issue was merely about money.

"Hey, Ginji! I hear a position is soon to open up in the Get Backers. Whaddya say we –"Shido turned his head while pinning Ban's neck into the side mirror.

Seeing his chance, Ban then smashed the Beastmaster's face into the windshield. "Ginji! Say goodbye to your friend here before he gets locked up in that prison called Madoka's mansion!" he bellowed. With a smug grin he knocked the top of Shido's head.

"We'll be expecting a wedding invitation tomorrow, okay?"

"Bastard!" he sputtered against the cracked glass. Suddenly, he stopped struggling and cupped a hand to his ear. "Wait. I think I hear screeching tires coming this way. Are you sure you guys aren't being followed?"

Whatever Ban thought personally of Shido certainly didn't affect how he respected the man's acute sense of hearing. He peeled his sparring partner off, pushed him into the car and scowled. "Crap! That's not possible! We covered our tracks well."

"Oh please, "Shido snorted as he crammed himself next to the metal cases in the tiny backseat. "How could anyone miss the sight of you two dressed like that?"

Ban reluctantly conceded he had a point. "Yeah, well, the faster we get back to the Honky Tonk, the better." He called out to Ginji. "All secure?"

"Yup." Ginji made one last check on the rope's slack and got into his side of the vehicle while his best friend revved up the engine.

But before he could shift into gear, Shido whistled and in leapt the tawny-coloured dog through the driver's side window, pouncing over Ban and settling in Ginji's lap.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me!" the snake man roared before stepping heavily on the gas. "Where the hell did he come from?"

"He's the junkyard dog. I promised him a good home in exchange for helping me out with my load."

"I swear, Monkey Trainer, if that mutt humps my leg or isn't toilet trained..."

The dog barked in protest.

"He's not a mutt, dummy. He's a Belgian Malinois," Shido corrected.

"Gah! You brought in a freakin' attack dog? Are you insane?" Ban went ballistic and leaned as far away as possible fro the panting canine.

"Does he have a name?" Ginji giggled as the creature lapped at his face.

"The gangsters were calling him 'Akatsume'," The Beastmaster smiled, leaned over and gave the dog a rewarding pat. "Say, he really likes you Ginji. If you want –"

"No! No! No! Absolutely not!" the porcupine head screeched at the top of his lungs, knowing exactly where this was going. "We can't afford a pet, especially not one charmingly named _'bloody claw'_!" He kept his eyes glued to the road, ignoring the indistinguishable whimpering that was coming from his side. He didn't know if it was Ginji or the dog doing it.

As Ban raced the Ladybug down the highway, closing into the ward limits of Shinjuku, Shido piped up. "You wanna hear something interesting?"

"No. Not really," the brown-haired retriever derided. "I highly doubt anything of interest comes out of that mouth of yours, Neanderthal."

The Get Backer's rival twisted his ear. "Well, you'll hear it anyway, snake boy. Get this, the goon I questioned at the junkyard claims our client actually _sold_ the android parts to them fair and square."

"Sold? So they bought the parts?" Ginji asked while petting Akatsume on the head.

"So they say. At a global teleconferenced auction a few days ago it seems."

"Wait. If that's the case, then that means –"

"Nothing! That's total B.S.!" Ban insisted vehemently. Despite his stony expression, a vein began to throb in his temple and he nearly grazed a road sign with his car. "If our client sold the parts, then why would he hire us to get them back?"

"I know. That's why I didn't believe him." Shido threw up his hands in bewilderment. "It doesn't make sense at all."

"Yeah. 'Cause if these parts were paid for to begin with, then by us taking them, wouldn't that make us –"Ginji paused, bit his lip and wrinkled his brow. "- thieves?"

His partner laughed uncomfortably. "Heh. Like I said, bullshit."

"Utter nonsense," The Beastmaster nodded rapidly.

As her motor whirred noisily from the outside, inside, the Ladybug had never known such uneasy silence from the three loudest repo men in the business.

Ban sniffed the air around him audibly and deeply. His face contorted. "For goodness sake! I don't know if it's just me, but what the hell is that awful stench?" He glanced at Akatsume incriminatingly, who growled and bared his fangs back.

Ginji buried his nose in the dog's fur. "It's not him."

"I noticed it, too," Shido said, inhaling suspiciously using his sensitive olfactory skills. "In fact, I always smell lots of nasty stuff in this car. I'm just too polite to say anything."

"Polite, my ass!" Ban bristled as he lit two cigarette sticks and waved them around like incense. "He who smelt it, dealt it. It's probably your beasty pheromones stinking up my car. You lie around with your animals so much you're beginning to reek like the sewer trap of a zoo."

"You scumbag! I don't smell like that! And it was rank in here even before I got in!"

"He's right, Ban-chan. The odour –"

"Shut up! I won't have any of you insulting my Ladybug. She's been through enough abuse already!" he shouted while dangling the cigarettes on his lips. Despite the open windows, the vehicle was fogged up with pungent smoke.

"I'm pretty sure something died in here," Shido joked, holding his nose exaggeratedly. "A rat, most likely. That, or one of your sweaty, smelly socks is rotting in a corner somewhere."

"Oh, so that's where it's gone to," Ginji laughed. "I thought I lost one of my socks in the laundry last month."

The Beastmaster raised a non-existent eyebrow. "Anyway, I don't know how you two can live in this garbage bin. I feel like I'm going to contract tetanus just sitting on the upholstery."

"Who-ahhh! Such big words coming from someone who's a kept man in the mansion of an under-age girl," Ban grinned evilly. "Hey, she ain't much, but at least I get a _ride_ from _my_ lady, hehe."

"Mido!" Instantly, big hands clamped around the snake man's scrawny throat.

"Acckk... Get your grubby...cckhck... paws off me, chimp!" Ban released his grip from the steering wheel and clawed at Shido's fingers.

"The wheel! The wheel!" Ginji cried, trying to steady it with one hand as the 360 weaved in and out between the lanes.

Suddenly, a deafening rumble of rotor blades passed low overhead and a dazzling beam of white light filled the interior through the windows.

"What the – "The blond squinted.

The Jagan master regained control of his car, craned his neck and looked up through the windshield. "Great. The _Yakuza's_ got a helicopter tracking us."

"Right now, walking all the way to the Honky Tonk doesn't seem like such a bad idea," Shido sighed loudly as he shielded his eyes from the spot lights. "I knew I was going to regret hitching a ride with you fools."

"What are we gonna do?" Ginji's eyes grew wide with concern.

And just like a midnight oasis arising from a sprawling mirage, a vast tree-filled park opened itself up to them on the boundary between Shinjuku and Shibuya wards. Ban pushed up his round glasses.

"We'll lose them in there," he yelled above the clatter of engines, rotors and an annoying barking dog.

"That's a public park!" Shido frowned.

"You have a better idea?"

"All right! Fine! I'll back you up." Irked, the Beastmaster unbuckled his seatbelt, leaned over Ban's shoulder and poked his head out the side window. The helicopter was now tailing some metres behind. Putting his thumb and index fingers between his lips, he gave out a shrill whistle.

Within a minute, streams of black appeared against the stark moonlit horizon and converged from all directions. Immediately, hundreds of bats flew directly into the helicopter's line of sight, blanketing its periphery in a cover of moving darkness.

Before the aircraft could pull up to avoid the cloud of bats, Shido roared, "Now!"

"Hang on!" Ban exclaimed. Flooring the pedal, he made a sharp left turn and launched the car into the park's raised sidewalk. The shock of the bump hurled Shido turbulently back into the seats – and the metal containers.

"Shit!" he screamed as he felt what seemed like a dozen steel corners jabbing into his body. Damn snake bastard could've at least waited for him to sit down first before doing that, he thought murderously.

Ban pushed the Subaru's engine into an agonizing whine as the car rushed up a gravelly incline and then dipped into a steep rocky embankment.

"B-b-b-Ban-ch-ch-ch-chan!" Ginji tremolo-ed, holding onto the whimpering dog for dear life.

The jagged, trench-like path sent everything not strapped in tossing and tumbling and bumping and grinding – which pretty much meant Shido and the parts.

With one last vault over a small boulder that sent the Beastmaster's head crashing into the car's roof, the Ladybug finally landed on a smooth, grassy knoll.

Shido hurriedly shoved aside the rubble of packages that buried him and buckled up. "Mido, you sonofabitch! If I didn't know any better, I would've thought you did that on purpose!"

"Then you don't know any better," he laughed.

The boys listened carefully as the helicopter circled above, its whap-whap racket growing fainter as Ban drove deeper into the bowels of the park. Despite killing the headlights, he maintained the Ladybug's urgent pace, kicking up chunks of sod and dodging trees - and the odd raccoon – along the way.

Ginji shut his eyes tight after a close call with a park bench. "Ban-chan, er... I think you can slow down now."

"Idiot! Have a little respect, will ya? You're obliterating public property!" Shido demanded. "Ease up. I think we've lost them already."

"We haven't lost anything until we emerge on the other side," the maniacal driver sneered. Then his mobile phone rang on the dashboard. "Dammit! What now?" Ban flipped it open and answered gruffly. "Yeah?"

It was Hevn. "Did you acquire the targets already?"

To his consternation, Ban thought he detected a hint of sheepishness in her voice.

"Mm," he grumbled as the two Volts crowded their heads around the phone. "Ditto with monkey boy."

"Shido's with you, then? That's good. I didn't think I could reach him. Where are you?" Hevn exclaimed with relief.

"Having a nice little picnic in the park."

"Stop being snide, needle noggin!" the mediator screeched. "We need to re-group at the Honky Tonk right away. Emishi and Jubei are already here." She paused. "Um... we may have a small situation."

"_Excuse me?"_ The snake's cold blood began to simmer.

"I just got a job request from the Nakano family..."

"That family of famous scientists and professors?"

"Same. It seems their youngest son, Keiichiro has been missing for several days now," she explained. "He hasn't called, answered his phone, or been back to his apartment. Just upped and disappeared. His folks claim it isn't like him to do that."

"So, it's a police matter. What's it got to do with us?" Ban groaned impatiently.

"Well, guess what? Nakano Keiichiro just happens to be our client's student assistant and researcher."

The brunette Get Backer's jaw dropped open. He wondered if it was his birthday in some twisted alternate universe. He'd never received so many shocking surprises in just one day in his whole life.

"Hello? Ban-kun? Are you still there?" Hevn screamed into the receiver. "I know it's probably nothing, and most likely his disappearance has no connection to what we're doing, but still –"

"Fine! We'll be there in a jiff!" he boomed back and snapped the phone closed.

Shido plopped down into the back seat and grabbed his shaggy head frustratedly. "Oh God, you've jinxed us again you bastard! Could you please tell your grandmother or Aesclepius or whoever it is who cursed you that I don't want to be your collateral damage any longer."

"So we're not having steak and sushi today?" Ginji mumbled, his big brown eyes tearing up.

"Shut up! Shut up! You morons are over-reacting!" Ban howled as his fingers almost broke the steering wheel in two.

"Tch! An assistant mysteriously goes missing days before his boss skips the country and you don't find that suspicious?" Shido snarled.

"Mere coincidence, that's all. There are thousands of reasons why someone would disappear." No matter how cockily he tried to bandy about his case, the Get Backer wasn't convincing anyone – not even himself. A twinge of panic dulled the fire in his blue eyes. Speeding up the car, Ban ran over a metal rubbish bin and the bump jangled the parts once again.

"Watch it! Just because this job is turning into crap doesn't mean you should kill us all!" The Beastmaster complained as the duffel bag of robot heads slid into his lap. The drenched bag seeped water onto his khaki trousers, making it look like he just wet himself. Shido pushed it down to the floor. "Geez! Where did you fish these out from? The bottom of the ocean?"

"Hey! Careful! Those are the heads, stupid!" the spiky-haired _dakkanya_ clenched his jaw and glared at Shido. Turning to his partner he ordered, "Ginji! Put that damn mongrel down and take out the heads from the bag. It's soaking up my car."

"But we're not supposed to open the packages, right?"

"Considering our client might be screwing us over, I think his ridiculous conditions cease to apply." Ban narrowed his eyes. "Now, do it!"

Reluctantly, Ginji took the bag and cautiously unzipped it. The fetid fumes that emanated from inside blasted straight into his nostrils.

"Ugh! I think we found the source of the bad smell." He held his nose while the dog at his feet suddenly yapped with excitement.

"I knew it! You fried the heads, dumbass!" Ban sighed. "Well, see if they're water-logged or damaged in any way."

Ginji took out one stainless steel square box, unlatched it and found its contents had been protected by a water-tight seal. An extraordinarily life-like female head lay nestled snugly in its insulated cushion.

"Wow! Cool! She looks just like Hevn, don't you think?" he raved and handed the box over to Shido. Enthusiastically, like a kid opening presents on Christmas Day, Ginji opened the next box and squealed with delight.

"Haha! This one looks exactly like you Ban-chan! He even has the same blue eyes." The blond shoved the case in front of his friend's face.

Ban studied the synthetic head and realized he was staring at an uncanny likeness of himself. So, naturally, he answered, "It doesn't look anything like me, idiot!"

"More like Akabane, maybe? Or is there a difference?" Shido chuckled as he took the case and shut it.

As Ginji's fingers grazed the last box, a strange sensation filled him. His eyes blinked quickly. "Didn't Hevn say there were only two android heads on the list? Why is there a third?"

"Who knows? We're lucky, I suppose," Ban snorted sarcastically.

The blond Get Backer shrugged and flipped the case open. The putrid odour overwhelmed the car immediately.

"_What the hell!"_ Ban and Shido almost yelled simultaneously.

With a slowly processed reaction that was typically Ginji, he regarded the package in its vacuum-packed clear plastic bag tucked haphazardly into the case. He tried to figure out what was strange about the head with its skin in a sickly yellow pallor splotched with ugly gray and purple marks, and wide-open eyes glazed over in an opaque white film.

Holding his breath, Ginji picked the head out of the box and held it in his hands. Feeling its flesh cave in at his touch, Ginji winced, wrinkled his nose and Eureka! decided –

The head didn't belong to a robot.

"D-d-d-d-ead!"

_NYAAAAAGGGGHHH!_

He shrieked and tossed the offending object into the backseat. Turning chibi, he leapt into a dramatic somersault and plastered himself squarely on Ban's confused face.

The thing rolled down with a grossly squishy sound down the pile of cases, bopped Shido on the head and bounced onto his feet.

_AAAAGGGGHHHH!_ The Beastmaster flailed his arms and legs wildly in stunned horror and inadvertently kicked the ball back into the front of the car, hitting the windshield with a horrible splat and landing –

"Ginji! Get off my face! I can't see!" Ban screamed. He took his foot off the gas, but before he could step on the brakes, the head ricocheted off the glass and landed – in his lap.

Then, as if it couldn't get any worse, Akatsume, the Belgian Malinois, sniffing out a chance at a juicy tidbit; growled, dove straight at the decapitated head – and Ban's crotch - and began to gnaw with gusto.

_WAAAAAAAHHHHHH!_

Feeling the attack dog's snout and fangs dangerously close to his privates, the snake man's voice would never sound as castratedly falsetto as it did at that moment.

Shido glanced out the windshield just in time to see a cherry tree trunk rush into full view.

"_Look out!"_

The trio's shouts came together into a rousing chorus before the inevitable cacophonic climax of tires screeching, glass shattering and the sickening scream of metal crunching against hard wood ...

... and then... silence.

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Why should Shido escape the wretched bad luck of the Get Backers? I just couldn't allow it, hehe. I would do the same to Emishi if I had the time. But since I don't, he should consider himself very lucky he escaped my wrath bwhahahaha...

/evil rant over/

**_Next chapter : _**Poor Ginji. Poor Ladybug. Oh, what the hell... Poor everyone. :D


	14. A Walk in the Park

"**Sum of the Parts"**

**Disclaimer **: Still dreaming on. :D

**A.N. : **Looks like I'll be reneging on my self-imposed promise to make this the last chapter – not that anyone cares :D. Writing time and the development of this story's denouement is taking a little longer than expected (and getting longer than expected) since I've discovered that when it comes to jobs and vacation time, the amount of work they dump on you is directly proportional to the number of leave credits you get.

Ok, so you didn't need to know that hehe. _Aaaanyway_, I'll just offer this chapter to tide you over until I type up the ending when I get back from holiday.

ENJOY!

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**_Chapter 14 : A Walk in the Park_**

"Uuuunnhhh..." Ban moaned as he twisted his head slowly from left to right. He bent his neck forward off the headrest and massaged the crick out of his muscles, grateful he wasn't suffering from whiplash or worse. Aside from getting the wind knocked out of him and a blunt ache that traveled diagonally from his shoulder, across his chest and down to his abdomen caused by the restraint of the two-point seatbelt against the G-forces exerted by his body's thrust; Ban thought he felt just peachy considering they just ran about sixty kilometers per hour into a tree.

A smell of rot more potent than ammonia wafted up and tickled the Get Backer's nose, snapping him up to attention. First, he felt the gelatinous mass on his thighs and then fretfully, his eyes opened. Though Ban didn't actually see the object that caused all the pandemonium inside the car since Ginji so thoughtfully smothered his face, the stench was giving it away big time.

Still, he hoped against all odds that thing nuzzled at his groin wasn't –

Taking a corner of the plastic cover, Ban tipped it back and found sunken – very dead – eyes staring up at him.

"Shit! Fu – "A litany of every imaginable expletive in several languages spouted out of the snake man's mouth as he went amuck in his seat and threw the severed head out the window. Hyperventilating, he seriously wanted to hurl at having had it face down on his manhood. Then suddenly, he also remembered it was not the only thing that assaulted his lap. Ban frantically felt around to see if everything was where they should be.

They were. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ginji!" He looked to his left and saw an empty seat. He then sought his partner out the windshield – or what was left of it – and found his _chibi_ form sprawled on the popped-off hood sprinkled with glittering shards of tempered glass. Apparently, the impact flung the runt through the front window like a trebuchet.

"Oi! Are you all right?" Ban exclaimed with alarm as he unclipped his seatbelt and tugged at the blond's dress.

"Uh... yeah," chibi-Ginji mumbled as he stirred his stubby limbs in a spasmodic wiggle, making the glass crunch. "But I think I'll just lie here for a while."

"I'm glad you're okay, buddy." He grabbed the 'Hello Kitty' that was on the floor and thwacked his prostrate friend with it. "Because that means I can kill you later, dumbass!"

"Sorry, Ban-chan," Ginji squeaked like a mouse.

"– And you, Monkey Trainer? You still alive back there?" Ban huffed, shrouding his (slight) concern with indignance.

"No thanks to you guys," a deep, disembodied voice replied from behind the bulk of steel cases. "Hey, Snake Bastard, I never knew you could scream like a girl."

"Shut up! You try having two-inch fangs nipping at your nuts and see if you don't sound like a twelve-year-old choir boy!"

"Fortunately, that would never happen to me, haha – ow!" Shido hissed a sharp intake of breath through his teeth as a stinging pain hit his side. "Man! I'm gonna be blue, black and purple all over."

"Looks like that's all we're gonna get from this shitty job," Ban sniffed morosely. He struggled to open his stuck side door. "Open! Godammit!"

With typical hot-headed impulsiveness, he used his Snake Bite to force the door ajar – and ended up ripping it off the hinges. One could almost hear the Ladybug cry _why?_ in the sad creak of the door as it finally let go of the frame and landed with a muffled plop on the grass.

"Er... Mido? Do you have a death wish for this car? Don't you think it would be easier on you and the Ladybug if you just bought another one?"

The spiky-haired Get Backer staggered dizzily a few feet away from the pitiful white vehicle and slowly turned to survey the full extent of the devastation.

The fender was bent deep in the middle, the front half of the hood crumpled like a piece of paper, the radiator was smoking, headlights were completely smashed and the windshield and driver's door were non-existent.

Eye twitching, Ban dropped down to his knees ad clutched his hair in both hands. "Hah... hah... hah... yi...yi...yi...yi..." He couldn't even begin to tally how much this was going to cost him. Images of money, pizzas, sushi platters and hair products floating away beyond his grasp filled his mind. Not to mention the ultimate abomination – the horror of having to travel by, gasp! – public transportation.

"What a freaking nightmare!" he sobbed. "My car! My poor precious Ladybug, ravaged and violated._ Whhyyy?_"

Shido pushed the cases that were blocking his way out the door-less car. "Get a grip, bastard!" He shouted. "Damn! The way you're grieving for this tin can, you definitely need a girlfriend real bad."

Ban was now in his chibi form, gushing tears in a torrent and doing a 'Curly' on the ground while babbling about things he knew he would be forced to do without for, oh, about a year or two.

Like watching a train wreck he couldn't peel his eyes away from, the Beastmaster shifted his gaze from one pathetic chibi Get Backer to the other. Shido didn't care much for fame, fortune or titles. He was in the retrieval business simply to pay the rent. But these two doofuses claimed to be the best retrievers in the world – and they sure weren't looking like it at the moment. If only he wasn't affected by the same monumental screw-up the Get Backers were facing right now, Shido knew he'd be laughing his ass off.

Instead, he picked up the blond doll-creature in his left hand, stomped over to the brunette (who was now lying in a fetal position muttering gibberish) and grabbed him with his right. Thrashing their pudgy heads together, he yelled, "Snap out of it, you fools!"

Ban regressed into his normal, proactive self. Meaning, he went proactive on Shido's neck. "Monkey Trainer, you're really asking for it –"

"– and you're welcome, too, jackass!" Shido snarled while griping his wrist. "Glad to see your tantrum is over."

"Pffft... I think I'm entitled to one, 'cause unlike you, I don't have a poor little rich girl to mooch off of." Ban avoided a quick punch from his rival. Eyes narrowing, he raised his arm and stared at his outstretched right hand. "But you're right. This situation calls not for moping, but for some serious _payback_... starting with – "

Chibi-Ginji was kowtowed on the dirt with hands clasped and eyes big, black, shiny beads begging for mercy. "Uh, Ban-chan... Why are you looking at me like that?"

**---  
**

"Ban-chan, is this really necessary? It feels like blood is going to pour out of my ears," Ginji whinged.

The _tare_ figure was suspended upside-down by his feet with some rope tied around a branch of the tree they crashed into. His skirt and its layers of white petticoats were flipped back over his body, making Ginji look like a wilted chrysanthemum swaying in the wind. Not to mention it conspicuously revealed the colour of the boxer shorts he was wearing... dark blue – with teddy bear print.

"Shido? Help? Please?" Ginji implored with the saddest hang-dog expression he could muster.

His former Volts mate glanced forlornly from his cross-legged position on the grass. "Sorry, pal. But as much as I hate to admit it, I'm kinda with the snake on this one. You just don't glue yourself to a person's face while he's driving. That's just not right."

Meanwhile, Ban was on all fours, crouched low on the ground and engaged in a growling contest with Akatsume, who had the dead head clamped in its jaws. He was trying to catch the dog's eyes.

"Give that back, you mangy mutt, or I swear I'll make you feel what it's like to be puppy chow!"

"Don't worry. He's not gonna eat it or anything," Shido sighed.

"Oh really? Well, Why don't I use the Jagan on you and see how you like having your monkey brain eaten," he groused. "No doubt you're telling it to do this to me, you orangutan!"

"Right. Just like I told the sparrow to 'break' your windshield," the Beastmaster smirked. "Why do you want the head back anyway after you so casually dumped it a while ago?"

Ban pointed at the Belgian Malinois. "I'm not done with you yet, flea bag." He stood up and walked over to his booty which Shido had deposited unceremoniously on the lawn. "Seeing how this mission is shot to hell, I'm thinking there's got to be some sort of reward for returning this missing – "he hesitated. "– person."

"You really are something else, freak." The tall man shook his head and rebuffed. "If that's the way you're going to approach it, then why don't you go all out and check if there's a body to go with that head? More parts, more money, right?"

"Maybe I will," Ban sneered caustically. He kicked one of the trunks in frustration whence it popped open and immediately, the air was thickly fumigated with more of the same nauseating odour of decay.

"Holy shit!" he exclaimed, jumping back with a startle and tripping over the equally surprised Shido. The two beastie boys clambered over each other and staggered backwards in a race to see who could move farthest away from the large, garbage bag-covered parcel that spilled from the case.

"When you said to see if there was a body, I thought you meant it as a joke!" Ban covered his nose and yelled as he climbed on top of the twisted hood of his Ladybug.

"I did!" And who'd expect you'd be so greedy to actually check!" Shido howled as he joined him.

"There's a body, too? Nyaaah!" Chibi-Ginji wailed, swinging around like a June bug flying in circles while tied on a string.

The surly brunette stopped the hyper whirligig with his fist. "It was an accident!"

"Well, clean up your 'accident' and shut that case closed right now!" The Beastmaster demanded as he shoved Ban off the car. "This park is beginning to smell like the valley of death!"

"– And you're the next body to be buried in it, moron! The gall of you to push _me_ off _my_ car!" The Jagan wielder flew up and sprung a sweeping punch which Shido parried. Instead, it connected with Ginji's puffy SD face.

"Yeee-oww! Hu-hu-hu-hu-hu..." the blond cried.

"It's your mess, you fix it!" Shido bellowed as he threw the smaller man against the tree. They continued to tussle and stomp and body-slam on top of the hood until it resembled an accordion. And like the clang of a bell ending a round of boxing, Ban's phone rang.

"Time out!" he wheezed. Before answering, the snake kneed Shido in the gut, after which he doubled over and rolled off the Ladybug.

"Cheap shot, bastard!"

"Whatever, dude." Ban slumped against the open windshield frame of the 360 and panted heavily into the mobile. "Whaddya want?"

"Who is this? Ban-kun? What's wrong with you?" Hevn squawked like a raptor on the hunt. "Why aren't you here yet?"

He grimaced and pulled the phone away from his ear lest the _chuukaiya's_ siren shriek perforate his membranes. _Chalk up another name on the girls-to-kill list._

"Hevn, my dear," Ban cooed patronizingly. "I'm sure you'll be a sweetheart and understand that we'll be delayed a while..."

"And why is that, pray tell?"

"Oh, nothing really. Except my car is currently wrapped around a cherry tree..." he sang. Then his voice crescendo-ed into a sonic boom. "... and like, _there's a fucking chopped-up decomposing body right next to me!_"

"A wh-what?" Hevn's screech faltered into a squeak.

"Apparently, robot parts aren't the only parts we got back for you, blondie."

Shido ventured a peek into the Get Backers' other cases and rapidly slammed them shut. At least now they knew where the body's arms and legs went to. He nodded ominously at Ban.

"Are you serious? Where did it come from?"

"The pieces were mashed in with the actual components inside the containers," he grumbled. "I'm starting to suspect this corpse is what the client is really after."

"The client?" Hevn paused, took a second for her mind to catch up and gasped. "Oh my God! Do you think it's the Nakano boy?"

"How the hell should I know?"

"I've got a photo of him here. Should I send it to your phone?"

"Wow, that'll be a great help!" Ban spewed undiluted acid. "I'm not sure if I can accurately describe the head for you since a stupid attack dog is now making beef jerky out of it, but as far as I can see, he, or she – I really can't tell – has black hair, milky white eyes, yellow-gray skin, purple lips and the face is bloated like a damn balloon." He took a deep breath.

"Does that look like Nakano Keiichiro to you?"

"For goodness sake! I get the picture!" Hevn retched into the receiver. "Well, a dead body is a dead body. I have no choice but to go to the police with this."

The spiky-haired man puckered his lower lip childishly. "Er... Before we sic the cops on our client, what if we wait until morning? You know, after he pays us first?"

"Ban-kun!"

"Geez, woman! It was just a thought," Ban seethed, hands beginning to sting at the utter and inevitable impossibility of having the cool, crisp caress of six million yen to soothe them.

"Look at it this way. If you had thought _not_ to open the packages like you were supposed to, this wouldn't have been your problem, would it? How could you be so unprofessional?" The mediator clucked her tongue.

"Hey! It became my problem the moment this job of yours began stinking up my car!" he snapped. "On the other hand, if only you had a brain as big as one of your _implants_ and did a background check, we wouldn't be involved with a friggin' axe murderer in the first place, you bimbo!"

"What did you say?" Hevn trumpeted, affronted less by the insult to her intelligence and more at the accusation her sizeable assets were fake.

"Silicone, bogus, unreal, F-A-K-E."Ban chortled. "You may not believe it, but my reasons for feeling you up are purely scientific."

"Give me a break! Like you'd really ever know the difference between real and fake you... you... _virgin_!"

"Who are you calling a virgin?" he exploded.

Shido couldn't take it any longer. He brusquely pried the cellphone from the snake man's grip. "It's me, Shido. So what's the plan?" he requested staunchly and without fanfare.

"I don't care if you have to trawl those parts – and that insolent sea urchin-head – through Tokyo Bay. I want you to get your asses here, right now!" Hevn screamed and abruptly cut the line.

He testily pitched the phone back to the grumpy brunette. "Man, that conversation just bugged. You're the only person I know who manages to effortlessly talk about dead bodies and boob groping in the same sentence, you creep."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Ban jeered and threw his head onto the roof of the Ladybug. Taking out his crushed cigarette pack from his jeans pocket, he fished out a stick with his teeth and grunted. "Dammit, will this night ever end?" He scanned the indigo swirls of the heavens with eyes that were coloured with their very fabric. Tracing the outlines of his own constellation, Ophiuchus, Ban noticed the serpent handler's stars were twinkling brighter than all the others – in mirthful laughter it seemed. He rolled his eyes dejectedly. He could almost believe his real curse wasn't the Jagan or even the power of Aesclepius, but maybe that he, Mido Ban, spawn of the dark, existed solely to be the spirits' favourite whipping boy.

No doubt the Witch Queen was highly amused.

"Hey snake! Quit brooding! This doesn't change the fact that we've got to get back to the Honky Tonk, remember?" Shido crossed his arms and towered menacingly over the dawdling retriever.

Ban narrowed his eyes above the violet glasses, tapped the fragile ashes off his cig and let the night blow the embers into his rival's disdainful face. "Yeah? And what do you intend to do? Call a buffalo to drive a cart out of some rice field?"

"Very funny," the Beastmaster scoffed. "No, asshole. I think it's easier if we simply borrowed a car. Madoka's house isn't too far from here."

"What _'we'_? You think I'm gonna walk with you through this park just so I can be your driver? Not bloody likely." He made a face. "What's wrong with using Madoka's chauffeur anyway?"

"I'm not waking anyone up at this ungodly hour in order to transport _your_ hacked-up, rotting corpse!" Shido growled and then snorted. He began untying his cases from the car's roof. "Fine. Suit yourself. But I sure as hell am not going to get caught with you in possession of a dead guy."

The gears in Ban's head suddenly sprung to life again. He hopped off the Subaru and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Sheesh... All right, I'll go with you, Monkey Trainer. No need to be so touchy. But I'm only doing this 'cause I can do without the towing fee."

"Meh. Not to mention a parking citation. Your car shouldn't even be here." Shido smiled slightly at having that cocky, know-it-all see it his way.

As the two dark-haired _dakkanyas_ headed off deeper into the park, the blond, chibi, hanging-upside-down, teddy bear boxers-wearing one wailed.

"Wait! What about me? You're not gonna leave me here like this, are you?" Ginji's smooshy face was turning a shade of maroon.

"Yes, I am," Ban replied without turning. "You can guard the stuff until we return."

"Guys! Come on! I said I was sorry..."

Shido looked back at the chibi-formerly-known-as-Raitei, put his hands up and shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. Obviously, as far as this latest Ban-Ginji spat was concerned, Mugenjou loyalties were history.

"Ban-chaaan! Shido!"

**---  
**

Guided by Shido's innate directional instincts, he and Ban quickly navigated into the middle of the thicket. Silently, they breathed in the mild mistral that started to settle as early morning dew, perfuming the air with the scent of trees and freshly cut grass. As they walked through the rustling darkness, both men were privately grateful to have left that awful smell of death behind. Between them, Ban and Shido had come across – and caused – their fair share of its foulness far too many times in their young, troubled lives. It wafted into their consciousness and lingered in their memories, reminding them of the violence of their pasts – and the violence that was yet to come.

Shido knew Ginji had to be feeling the same way. "Don't you think you're being a little too harsh on the kid?" he opined warily.

Ban's stern, Teutonic features were resolute. "That 'kid' broke my car. Besides, he'll be okay. You, of all people, should know he's been subjected to worse."

"Yeah, but..." The Beastmaster sighed, pushing his fingers into his black hair in puzzlement. It was pointless to reason with that grown child sulking over the loss of his prized toy. "Anyway, what's with your obsessive attachment to that car?"

"There must be a story behind how you came to adopt your menagerie of pets, no? So, too, is there a story behind how the Ladybug became mine," he explained cryptically. "You can't imagine the things I had to do to have her."

Shido noted the Snake Bastard didn't mention anything about actually _buying_ her.

"I didn't realize you were such a sentimental sap. Like I said, get a girlfriend – or something..." He added with a snicker. "– you virgin."

"Look who's talking. Why, if it isn't 'Mr. I-live-in-Madoka's-ballpark-but-I-haven't-even-reached-first-base-yet' Monkey Trainer," Ban hooted and grinned. "Or do you prefer company of another variety? Hmm... I'm beginning to wonder just how much of a 'friend' you really are to your animals."

"–And you're implying what exactly?" Shido's hands curled into fists at his sides. But before Ban could open his mouth for a snappy comeback, his arm barred across the Get Backer's chest. "Hold on, did you hear that? Footsteps."

Ban's spiky head pivoted in every direction. He, too, could sense movement lurking far off into the woods. Hardly surprising. Whatever was coming after them would merely be icing on an already crummy cake. Instead, he strode on ahead. "Probably just scurrying raccoons."

"Tch. You think I wouldn't know that?" Shido muttered while catching up. They climbed up a softly rolling barrow and saw a stone path open up towards a children's playground.

"You know that stuff the goon told you over in the junkyard?" The Jagan Master blurted out. "I figure he's telling the truth."

"Yeah? How so?"

"The guy we nabbed our parts from – Kojio Kiyoshi – booked himself and the cargo on a commercial flight back to L.A. I don't care what connections he's got, but there's no way in hell he was going to pass through customs with a corpse on his hands."

"So, you're saying Kojio didn't know there was a dead body stashed in with the real targets?" Shido said anxiously.

"That's probably because Kojio isn't the original buyer. I don't think anyone but our client and whoever that body was intended to be sent to was supposed to know about it. That's why we were all given scanners and told not to open the packages because they were so 'sensitive'. Sensitive. Heh. What an understatement," Ban grimly explained.

"My take is, the hijacking was simply a cover for the client to conveniently distribute all of the android parts to the winning bidders at that international auction. That way, he disposes of the parts at a profit – "

"–and even gets to collect on the insurance afterwards. Brilliant!" Shido exclaimed with awe.

"Right. Couldn't have thought of a better scheme myself," he smiled slightly. "Except – there was an unexpected snag in the plan. Someone got greedy. I'm speculating that the hijackers found an interested buyer in Hollywood willing to pay an enormous amount for some of the booty. So they screw our client, steal the parts and sell them to Kojio. Of course, Kojio, customs and airport security were bound to discover the dead body eventually..."

"... easily linking it back to the client." The Beastmaster's slanted gray eyes grew round with the stunning revelation.

"And that's where we come in," Ban snorted furiously at the fact he'd been cleverly lured into this intricate plot. "Not wanting to have a corpse traced back to him and not knowing who had the containers with the hacked-up body in them, the client hires all of us to steal back everything."

"So, this assignment was all about us fixing someone's snafu," Shido growled. "Geez. And here we are thinking we were retrieving stolen goods, when in fact, we were doing the stealing!"

"The whole auction and fake hijacking was dodgy to begin with. But yeah, technically speaking, we stole those parts. And now it seems we're involved in what looks like a murder case to boot."

"Correction. You're involved in a murder case, not me. I'm just a robber," he frowned and tugged agitatedly at his bandanna. "Okay, so we probably know _why_ the client hired us. But just who is the dead guy and how does he factor in all of this?"

"Chances are, it's Nakano. But I have no idea how these two cases are related." Ban shrugged disconcertedly as they entered the vicinity of the playground. "But I'm certain of one thing, though. There's a pissed-off buyer out there who never received their part of the deal. And no doubt, they want their loot back..."

"... That said, he could very well be in this park right now."

Shido cocked his head. "He?"

**---  
**

"Good boy, Akatsume-chan... A little bit more..."

Chibi-Ginji encouragingly praised the Belgian Malinois as he repeatedly climbed onto the roof of the Ladybug and launched himself at the rope, trying to latch onto it with his jaws in order to gnaw it loose. Unfortunately for both Ginji and the dog, his attempts were short and they ended up colliding with each other again, and again... and again.

Panting heavily, the canine heeled and whimpered apologetically.

"It's all right, boy. I'll find another way," Ginji said as he swung from the tree like a pendulum. He tried using his electricity to burn off the fibers, but all he could manage was a static charge that didn't even generate a spark. Another option was to use the static to cause friction on the rope much like rubbing two twigs together, but frankly, Ginji was too exhausted and uncomfortable to even try. Already, blood rushing to his head was making his face purple.

"Ban-chan! Shido! Someone? Yoo-hoo! I think I'm gonna pass out here... Helloooo?" Ginji called out into the wind.

Suddenly, he heard the slide of patent leather shoes on the grass and gruff voices shouting out in their rough speech. Seeing nothing as he was hidden behind the dripping branches and leaves of the cherry tree, Ginji listened as the sounds inched nearer to his location.

"_I heard yelling..."_

"_Impossible. Seems there's no one here except for that dog."_

"_I can't believe they just left the parts..."_

"_You think they died in the crash? It looks bad..."_

"_We won't know until we check, stupid!"_

"_Well, it sure smells like someone died."_

"_Let's just take the cases and split. Kojio said the guys who did this are some crazy motherf-"_

Ginji wasn't able to catch the last piece of that conversation. Instead, he felt an acute chill stream from behind and heard the heavy flap of wind-whipped fabric, followed by the high-pitched _shiiing!_ of metal slicing through dense air.

The blond froze.

As the shuffle of feet and the murmur of voices grew faint, Ginji noticed the _Yakuza_ henchmen's oppressive presence weaken with each fearful step they took away from him – and _him_.

"_Shit! It's that sociopathic murderer and peeping tom..."_

"_Screw this. I'm outta here!"_

The shuffles escalated into a stampede and instantly, Ginji was left to bear the brunt of the enveloping stillness and cold that raised the hairs on the back of his neck.

"That first accusation, I don't think I can argue against," a voice erupted in a laugh so deep and soulless it seemed pulled from beyond his throat and up from the pit of some netherworld. "Being called a voyeur, however... is unusual, even for someone like me."

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you..."

"...Ginji-kun?"

**---  
**

As Ban and Shido passed the playground swing set, an urgent patter of steps closed in around them. They stopped in their tracks, turned their backs to each other and instinctively moved into their respective fighting stances.

"Raccoons, huh?" Shido huffed.

"Just didn't want to scare you, monkey boy," Ban simpered and pushed up his glasses with his finger. He hollered into the murky horizon. "Yo! Men in black! Step out of the shadows will 'ya? We haven't got all night!"

About eight identically suited _Yakuza_ vassals came slinking out of the woodwork and surrounded the two retrievers. The Get Backer grinned when he spotted a familiar face among them.

"Why, if it isn't the Cassanova of Room 405. Looks like she worked you over real good, no?"

The man trembled as he stood before Ban-who-he-still-thought-was-Dr. Jackal. The purple bruise he sported around his eye was obvious even behind the dark shades.

"Does that offer to give me your girl still stand? 'Cause I'd be more than willing to take her off your hands, if you'd like," he whistled.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Shido exclaimed incredulously, gaping at the spiky-haired flake.

"Shut up! Both of you!" Henchman No. 1 shouted as he aimed a gun at the Beastmaster's chest. "Now, where are the parts?"

"Mine or his?"

"Huh?"

"Well, if you're searching for his parts, then you'll have to deal with him," Shido said. In a flash, he ducked under and from behind him, Ban swung a high kick into Henchman No. 1's face. Meanwhile, Shido propelled himself in the opposite way and tackled some other lackey, using him to bowl over a couple more.

The Jagan wielder gracefully leapt off on one foot, glided over two goons and after making a pirouette in mid-air, caught a head in each of his powerful hands and bashed them together. "You guys should tell Kojio he's better off without the parts," Ban yelled as he landed softly on the grass. "'Cause let me tell 'ya, the moment he takes a whiff of those parts, _whoo!_, I guarantee he'll be on the first plane outta here."

Then Shido, who held a cowering gangster by the lapels, turned his head towards the direction they'd come from and saw more black suits sprinting their way. He threw the man to the ground and girded himself for more action. Instead, he blinked with bewilderment when the gang kept on running and passed him and Ban by.

The group's fallen _Yakuza_ comrades were as perplexed as the Beastmaster. Struggling groggily on their feet, one of them demanded, "Where are you going? What happened?"

A running man answered without stopping. "Leave those jerks to the big guy and get out of here! That psycho Dr. Jackal is on our heels!"

"D-D-Dr. Jackal?" Henchman No. Room 405 sat up and clutched his side. He pointed at the Get Backer. "But isn't that him over there?"

Someone halted in his tracks and jogged over to the sorely mistaken gangster. Slowly helping his mate up, he stared at Ban. "Are you kidding? The real Akabane's got scary-ass scalpels sticking out of his freakin' knuckles!"

"Then who's that guy?"

"Nobody." The two mobsters stumbled away. "Just some copycat."

Ban's eyes glowed like radioactive goo. "WHAT?" He went nuclear. "Oi! You bottom feeders! Come back here! How dare you call me Jackal's copycat? I'll have you know I clobbered that sonofabitch's ass TWICE!"

"I'm the invincible Mido Ban-sama of the Get Backers!" He pointed his finger at the fleeing group and shouted at the top of his lungs, making sure the whole of sleeping Tokyo woke up and heard him. "Don't you ever forget that name, you turds!"

"Geez... Enough already with the chest-thumping, King Kong," Shido rolled his eyes with an excruciating expression of embarrassment. He _sooo_ didn't want to be seen with this hot air balloon right now. "I thought the point of being a retriever was _not_ to advertise ourselves to the bad guys."

"Hmph. Who cares? You're just jealous 'cause you know it's true," Ban sniffed petulantly while digging his toes into the ground and tossing up clumps of soil with his shoe. "The nerve of them..."

"Say, if Akabane's here for the parts, shouldn't we go back for Ginji?"

"The dimwit will handle him just fine like he always does. Besides, after spending a whole night being mistaken for that creep, I sure as hell don't want to see his freakazoid zombie face!" the snake man fumed and then paused as he realized something. "And speaking of zombies, didn't those chickens mention something about leaving us to the 'big guy'?"

"'Big guy', meaning – "

Suddenly, from a few metres away, a huge oak seemingly duplicated itself right before their eyes. The clone that came from behind the tree was of the same girth, except, it was human and was walking towards the _dakkanyas_ with a ravenous, shit-eating grin on its craggy, granite-like head.

"Hishiki..." Ban rasped.

"... Ryuudo?" Shido gulped.

The giant stopped in front of the monkey bars and stroked his goatee. "Still claiming you're invincible, eh?"

"As always," the Get Backer snippily retorted. "Hey, if you want the title that badly, you're gonna have to kill me first since it's practically written on my birth certificate. Till then, you're simply 'Undead'."

Hishiki's smile instantly cocked into a teeth-baring sneer.

"Oh great," Shido sighed and slapped his hands into his thighs with frustration. "Encourage him further, why dontcha?"

Hitting his fist repeatedly into his dinner plate-sized palm, the Protector inched closer to the unmoving men. "You surprised us, Mido. We were guarding against Get Backers at the hotel. But we didn't expect two whores. Who would've thought you boys could stoop so low?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, Hishiki, but we are that low," Ban answered, somewhat proudly.

"You and Ginji were... prostitutes?" the Beastmaster roared furiously.

"It was a surprisingly easy way to make a fast buck," he shrugged.

Shido felt as though his feet were swallowed up by the earth while he stared dumbly at the porcupine head.

"Know what? I think I'm going to wake up Madoka's driver after all," Shido finally decided as he began to go on ahead. He jabbed a thumb back at his erstwhile companion. "He's all yours, man. I'm through with this madness."

"Monkey Trainer, you sonofabitch! You're leaving me here?"

With smug satisfaction, Shido swore he detected a slight quiver resonate in the Snake Bastard's tone. "Don't worry, I'll pick up Ginji on the way and I'll send an ambulance for you – if you're still alive." He waved mockingly.

However, with merely a few strides, Hishiki barricaded the departing man's path. "And where do you think you're going?"

Shido glanced up at the hulking monster. "Come on, old-timer. You know I'm not with this jerk," he professed. "So, if you don't mind, I'll leave you two to settle your score. Oh, and if you happen to run into our former boss Akutsu, tell him I send my warmest regards – from the bottom of my ass!"

He tried to side-step the moving wall. First from the left, then the right, and finally getting a definite no-pass with a massive upper-cut to the jaw.

The Beastmaster's whole body flew a ways back as if suspended by a mattress of air and crashed with a heavy thud on the ground.

"Ouch!" Ban snickered. Karma was such bliss.

"That's for your pipsqueak girlfriend kicking me in the balls!" Hishiki snarled.

At exactly the same time, the park's automated sprinkler system kicked in, pelting everything with hard, arching jets of water.

Propping himself up on his elbows and rubbing the left side of his face, Shido let dagger claws push up from his fingers and eyes fire up into a searing yellow-amber. "Have it your way then... Hundred Beast Mimicry – Tiger!"

With an inhuman roar, he leapt off from all fours and pounced.

**---  
**

A thin, bluish-white sliver of light whizzed at lightning speed past chibi-Ginji's tiny body and cut cleanly through his binds.

"Yaaahh!" he cried as the blade's momentum sent him careening in the air before dropping onto the Ladybug's jagged hood with a loud 'thunk'. Peeking his round head out a corner of the car, he watched as the tall, dark, willowy column branched off the shadows and stand under the moonlight as though a solitary reed refusing to bow to the wind. Instead, it was the elements that danced in submission to the figure, unfurling and waving the panels of his coat like petals of a black dahlia around his feet.

Ginji whimpered and hid back behind the cover of the 360. He didn't know what was worse – the inevitability of fighting his nemesis while running on empty, or the indignity of having Akabane Kuroudo see him in a dress. Meanwhile, the dog was barking incessantly at the newcomer.

"A-Akabane-san? What are you doing here?" Ginji's voice rose up in a meek stammer from above the clutter of metal.

"Why, following you, of course." The reply rolled off Dr. Jackal's tongue as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "You boys have some items that belong to my client." He paused. "In fact, I see one of them right now."

The blond looked on in horror as scalpels rained dangerously close to the Belgian Malinois. He yelped and ran away, leaving the human chew toy on the grass.

Ginji gritted his teeth. Dress or no dress, he jumped off the car in his full form and glared from a distance. "Why'd you do that for? Shido wouldn't like what you did... _I _don't like what you did."

Oblivious to Ginji's protest, Akabane tipped his hat to one side, revealing one of his strange silver-misted lilac eyes that kindled through the slit. It regarded the Get Backer from head to toe. "Interesting," he chuckled icily. "I've only just arrived and already I'm much amused."

Ginji made every effort to pull his skirt down lower, short of tearing it off his waist, but to no avail.

With an elegant twist of his wrist, the _hakobiya_ threw another blade aimed at the severed head and, without actually piercing through any of the areas covering flesh (fortunately, since not even Dr. Jackal fancied a leaker), skillfully caught plastic. Holding out his gloved hand, he summoned his scalpel back, bringing the head right smack into his palm like a baseball hitting a catcher's mitt.

"You haven't really answered my question, Akabane-san," Ginji reiterated, his voice slowly losing its fear and replaced by confused impatience. "What do you mean these parts belong to your client? And the dead body -?" His heels moved back inch by inch as Akabane drifted towards the Ladybug carrying the head like Salome offering John the Baptist on a platter.

"You poor lads don't know what you got yourselves into, do you? Typical." He smiled knowingly and knelt on one knee as he inspected the scattered cases and debris on the lawn with his calculated assassin's gaze. Then Dr. Jackal's eyes closed into down-turned smiley-face crescents when he picked up Ban's discarded bra with the tips of his fingers.

"Umm... Just so you know, that's not mine," Ginji insisted sheepishly while stepping further away.

"Your partner's then? Hmm... I never would've figured him to do such a thing. You must've been offered quite a handsome fee, I gather?" Akabane quipped as he carefully folded the underwear, stood up and neatly tucked it into the Ladybug's dashboard.

"Very well, I suppose an explanation is in order before we get down to business."

"Down to what business?" The Get Backer swallowed hard.

"By the time I'm finished with this story, you'll realize you don't have a client to return these parts to. However, my instinct tells me you're not going to let me walk away with them either."

Akabane adjusted his gloves, smoothening them into the webs between the digits of his spindly hands. "You, me, your friends – are here because of a simple inconvenience. You've been informed there was a hijacking last night. There was no such thing. It was all staged as an insurance scam while the parts discreetly went to their respective buyers."His pupils shrunk into pinpricks. "That was the plan, anyway, until a real hijacking occurred. Suffice to say, I never got to deliver my package to my client."

"Package? You mean the dead man?" Ginji hoarsely said.

"That, too," Dr. Jackal affirmed with a cheery, casual snort. "Seeing how 'vital' the missing targets were and how they would implicate your client in a murder, naturally, he hired the best retrieval agents to get them back before anyone found out about our hapless victim here. Unfortunately for him, it's a bit too late for that."

"Oh, and you'll be happy to know the cause of all our troubles has been... properly dealt with," he added as an afterthought.

Ginji covered his mouth and shuddered. "You killed the hijackers? Why? Because they made you wait?"

"Twenty-four, no, make that twenty-seven, hours is an awfully long time to complete such a textbook job." Akabane's lips curled up at the blond's usual display of naivete. "Besides, I rather consider my actions as merely culling the ranks of our kind of unprofessional behaviour."

"_Your _kind," Ginji demurred, unsure now of how he was going to handle this situation. "And since when does a transporter like yourself take on the dirty job of retrieving a corpse?"

"The minute I passed on Miss Hevn's name to your client," he replied. "I knew the opportunity to run into the Get Backers would present itself. Thus, I volunteered my services to my employer at no extra charge."

The cool, conniving killer made a subtle show of zeal in the delicate way he loosened the silk tie around his alabaster neck. "I must say what a thrill it is to have a scheme work out as well as it does."

"So, you wanted us involved right from the start." Ginji creased his brow and bunched up his fists. "And this is all just a game to you?"

Akabane raised his head, flashing the boy the full impact of his pale, frigid, ghostly eyes. "Ginji-kun, when has it _not_ been a game, especially with you, my favourite player." The doctor's dulcet tone was mockingly deceptive, harmless in its flow yet poisonous in its bitter aftertaste.

The former Thunder Emperor certainly didn't appreciate the acknowledgement that he was being toyed with. But that wasn't what was bothering him.

Without ever releasing Ginji from his attentive stare, Dr. Jackal began to open the cases one after the other, taking out the chopped up human pieces with methodical efficiency until they made up an orderly pile next to the Ladybug's rear tyre.

He closed the last of the containers. "You don't mind if I leave these behind, do you?" Akabane's hand motioned to the morbid parcels at his side. "Part of the purchase deal was for my employer to conveniently dispose of this – liability - for your client. But now that the circumstances have changed..." He bent over, picked up the severed head and beheld it with rapt interest. A satisfied mien crossed his face over the fact that he, Akabane Kuroudo, had the dead – even in its ugliest, advanced state of putrefaction – awaiting his judgment on its worthless fate.

"My instructions are to deliver the android, and most importantly, this head. You and your client may handle the rest of the body as you see fit."

Ginji seethed at the callous, detached way his arch-nemesis spoke of the dead like dispensable commodities, treating _this person_ like some prized bluefin tuna at the Tsukiji Central Wholesale Market _(1) _being cut up and haggled over by the best sushi chefs in the country; rather than as a human being who lived a normal life and probably had a worried family who was searching for him.

As someone who had neither a normal life nor a family that cared for his well-being, Ginji found this man's demise a terrible waste. He decided he would not let his death be trivialized.

Especially not by the likes of Akabane.

"What do you want the head for and why is this man's death so important to so many people?" The Get Backer demanded furiously. Static began to rise in the cooling air.

The Transporter held the brim of his hat against the wind and hummed contentedly. He noticed a yellow fire ignite behind the liquid brown pools of those impossibly soulful eyes and instantly, Akabane knew he had pushed the right buttons. But, he was a patient man when it came to enticing a worthy opponent to battle and Ginji needed more time.

Dr. Jackal took out the Hevn look-alike robot head from its case, held it out to Ginji in his left hand and the human one in his right.

"Tell me, what do you think is the more valuable of the two?" He didn't wait for the blond's answer, which he already knew. "From a purely unsentimental point of view you could say it's this one." Akabane raised the artificial head slightly. "Because what possible worth can a decaying chunk of flesh have anyway?" He dropped the object in his left hand to the ground. "But in this case, by choosing the human head, you would have made the right choice. But not for the reasons you think."

"No. This head is worth all this trouble not for what it is, but for what's inside – literally. Implanted somewhere in this man's head is a microchip valuable enough to kill for."

Ginji cringed. "Murdered for a microchip? You didn't – "

"Heavens, no. I couldn't have done this. Not at all," he scoffed in his polite, silky tone and studied the ragged neck wound. "If it was me, I would've done a much cleaner job."

The blond Get Backer wanted to erase the smirk off the psycho's predatory face. He was tired of these riddles. "Then who killed him?"

"Your client, I presume. Only he has enough motive to set up this elaborate charade. And I would applaud his brazen attempt at getting away with murder if not for his poor choice of accomplices." Dr, Jackal shrugged with a chipper glee to his voice. "Oh well, his misfortune means more fun for me."

One wonders about the kind of crack positive attitude the schadenfreude practiced. Apparently, when life gave Akabane lemons, he made Bloody Marys.

He put the decapitated head back in its case. "And since I'm in the mood for sharing, would you like to know who our notorious victim is?"

With head bowed and eyes downcast, Ginji mumbled sullenly. "Nakano Keiichiro."

"That's right. I see you've been contacted. So someone came looking for him after all."

"And why not?" he asked. Unconsciously, Ginji took a small step forward. "He has a family. Of course he'd be missed."

"Don't be foolish Ginji-kun," Akabane waved a white, gloved finger. "Just because one has family doesn't mean they can't, and won't, abandon you." He neglected to add, _"As you only know too well..."_

Ginji blinked back tears that were clouding his vision. The cunning killer's words were as sharp as one of his scalpels plunged and twisted deep into the heart.

"... but I'm not surprised. I hear the Nakano boy was brilliant, an engineering prodigy and worthy heir to the famous family name... I think he was about your age and quite a charmer – so they say."

As Akabane rambled on, his intended foe felt the fuel-starved cells in his body search for conduits of energy from somewhere, anywhere; cells awakened by the dormant Raitei's stirrings upon hearing the key words that tapped into bits and pieces of an unhappy childhood. _Family... Abandon_...

It was the electricity that made him forget. And without it, the hurt lingered more than he could bear. Ginji grasped his head in both hands, hoping for it to stop while the sprinklers suddenly shot up steady streams of water. Water, just like the cold rain back in the days at Mugenjou where he'd sit for hours on a pile of rubble trying to cleanse himself of his sins; to wash away his pain...

"He was surrounded by bad company, though. People who wanted to use his gifts. But the boy was too idealistic, too conscientious and too trustful for his own good, and that's what killed him..."

Dr. Jackal's fingers drummed together in anticipation. _Yes... Almost there..._

"On second thought, by his very nature alone, I think Nakano practically killed himself."

Ginji closed his eyes and tried to consolidate impulses that could be spared by his insides. However, all he could feel was his blood boil – like any normal, infuriated person. He realized the Get Backers hadn't formally accepted the job request of the Nakano family, but Ginji knew, somehow, had to get Keiichiro back.

Right now, mere anger would have to do.

_I'm sorry, Ban-chan._ _I have to do this._ With a rebel yell, Ginji lunged at Akabane with a flying fist. Ceramic blades collided with the titanium plate of his glove.

"Tch! It's people like you who killed him!" he shouted and pushed forward. "He couldn't help being who he was. Why must he suffer and die for that?"

The tall man waited... and waited... and... nothing. With an intrigued raise of an eyebrow, Akabane swept his arm away, letting the gust of his departing instruments blow Ginji back. He allowed the boy another go.

"I wonder... At what point did we stop referring to Nakano and start talking about _you_?" He chuckled, using a scalpel to brand Ginji's name into the air. Its intense heat briefly radiated the path of each Kanji character in orange flame.

Ginji shook his head wildly and charged with all the strength he could afford. Again, Akabane sensed none of the frightening aura, saw no phosphorescent halo of sparks. He felt he was fighting with... nobody. Using only his bare hand, he stopped Ginji's punch by seizing his wrist.

"I won't let you take any part of him, Akabane-san," he winced.

The Transporter pulled the boy closer so that their eyes exchanged beams of impassioned tempest. With a severe, grim smile, he asked,

"Then what's stopping you?"

**---**

**

* * *

**

Since I've made Akabane some sort of Dr. Exposition, I hope he's not OOC by being too chatty. He is evil, though, that's for sure hehe.

And oh, yeah. Hishiki can talk. Really. :D

As usual, your reviews and comments will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading, you guys, it means a lot to me.

Well, I'm off to my holiday. :D See you when I get back with the final installment of this story.

Cheers!

**_Next Chapter:_** How will Ginji battle Akabane without his electricity? Will Ban and Shido finally change Hishiki's nickname from "Undead' to just 'Dead?" Will... Oh, never mind. Just wait and see. :D

**_(1) Tsukiji Central Wholesale Market : _**Most famous of Japan's wholesale markets and one of the largest fish markets in the world.


	15. Carma

"**Sum of the Parts"**

**Disclaimer **: Don't own. Never have. Never will.

**A.N. : **Hallo again! Back from my holiday and whoa! did the number of new GetBackers fanfics just mushroom? Anyway, I'm glad to be back and with these, the final installments. I've divided the end into a last chapter and an epilogue for an easier read.

Am sure gonna miss this fic, though. Writing it was a blast, it kept me sane, and strangely, it got me past some pretty rough patches.

But like all things, this, too, must end. So, a big thanks to everyone who's been patient enough to see this fic through to the end. Your comments, encouragements and reviews have been wonderful. I greatly appreciate them.

Cheers to you all!

ENJOY:D

---

* * *

_**Chapter 15 : Carma**_

"Ugh!" Ban's eyes grew wide as he and Ginji mind-melded for a split-second in that mysterious dimension only they shared. It wasn't a call for help and the sensation passed as quickly as it struck, but he wondered if he made the right decision by leaving Ginji to fend off Akabane alone.

But he couldn't really afford to dwell on it any longer when he had a bigger problem headed his way – all six-foot and 72 kilograms of it.

"Aaaaggghhh!" Shido's roar grew louder as he neared.

"Crap!" Ban looked up and saw the flying man eclipse the light of the moon. Quickly, he turned to avoid that heavy, encroaching darkness. But not quick enough as Shido landed and pinned him down into the playground's sandbox.

"OOOOF!" The Get Backer gasped as he lay belly down and half-buried in the rough grains. He thought an elephant was sitting on him. "Dammit! Just because you can transform into a hundred beasts doesn't mean you should _weigh_ the equivalent of a hundred beasts!"

"Give me... a sec, will ya? I can't... move..." Shido moaned into Ban's damp mahogany spikes.

First, he felt hot breath against his neck and next, the sinewy muscles of a broad chest moulding against his back. Only then did Ban realize just _how_ exactly the Beastmaster had landed – spread-eagled right on top of him like...

"OH GOD! Get off! Get off NOW!" Mr. Sandman shouted, twisted his face and squirmed underneath; mortified at how the both of them must've looked right now.

Certainly, Hishiki took notice as he laughed and bade his sweet time walking towards that 'intimate' scene. He wished he had a camera or something.

"I'm doing it!" Shido howled between laboured breaths. Straddling Ban between his thighs, he struggled to pull himself up. Searching for leverage with his hand, he couldn't resist using the porcupine head as support and ended up grinding his face into the moist ground.

"Ptuhh...ptuhh..." Ban lifted his mug off the sand and spat the granules out of his mouth. "You did that on purpose, you sonofabitch!"

"Your turn, Snake Bastard," Shido wheezed as he completely rolled off his rival's body.

He grabbed a fistful of sand and threw it in the Beastmaster's face. "What 'my turn'? This isn't a friggin' tag-team match, asshole – _eeeee shit!_"

Suddenly, he watched helplessly as his body began scooping out a trench right before his eyes while Hishiki dragged him by the feet through the sand, the grass, and the cobblestone path. Then, Ban was lifted into the air and spun round-and-round like a hammer until the big hands let go of his ankles. He soared and finally slammed into the fiberglass kiddie slide, skidding head-first down its incline together with rivulets of water.

The Get Backer peeled himself off the slide. Crawling a bit painfully before hobbling onto his feet, he smashed his fist into the earth and announced, "Okay. That's it! You wanna see how serious I can get, you big lug? Fine. I'll be serious."

Ban stood ten paces before Hishiki and began staring him down with as menacing a gameface he could put on - which was darn near impossible when that soaked face had dingy rivers of paint, eyeliner and mascara streaking down its cheeks like a jilted drama queen crying in the rain.

Aaaanyway... Ban pushed his glasses up his nose. "If you want the parts, be my guest. You're gonna have to fight Dr. Jackal for them, though. But I'm warning you, the freak is uber-pissed since your client stole from his client and our client stole from both your clients and either way..." he paused. "... we really don't care anymore..."

(sound of crickets in the background)

"Oh, so now you don't talk," Ban snorted.

Shido sidled over and hissed. "What in God's name was _that_?"

"Reverse psychology."

"And that was you being 'serious'?"

"Hell, yeah. No point in getting clobbered for something we're not even being paid for. He and Jackal can duke it out for all I care."

The Protector cracked his knuckles and flashed a 'screw-the-parts-I-just-wanna-kick-your-ass' smile.

Shido translated his body language perfectly. "Well, no point in that reverse psychology crap either. I think he just wants to kick our ass."

On cue, Hishiki came hurtling at them with ground-shaking strides and a battering ram fist.

"In that case – run!" Ban exclaimed as he and Shido leapt away from the juggernaut's path. He fell into a tuck-and-roll and landed on one knee. Jerking his head to the left, Ban espied a wooden see-saw near Shido's position.

"Zoo boy!" He pointed urgently. "Jump the second I get on that thing!"

"Got it!" The Beastmaster replied, knowing exactly what the fighting genius had in mind.

Ban deflected one of Hishiki's blows. As he made a dash for the teeter-totter, the giant made a grab for him and caught a leather sleeve, ripping it off completely. _Shoot! I might have to pay for that,_ he worried in what was a most inopportune time to be thinking of ruined costumes.

The Get Backer balanced himself on the edge of the lever and snapped his right hand into a lethal claw. "Now!"

Shido made a running start, flew up and stomped on his side of the see-saw. The fulcrum creaked loudly and the wood splintered beneath his feet as he watched Ban catapult into the dark.

Ban knew his 200 kilogram grip was only as effective as a lesser or equal force would allow – which that ogre's definitely was not. But by using the see-saw he hoped his forward propulsion would offset the difference.

_You know you want to call me_, a raspy voice whispered.

Aesclepius was being a pest as usual. _You're not slithering up my arm, slimy. Not tonight and not anytime soon, _the cursed man razzed and smiled to himself.

"Snaaaake..." Ban yelled as he did a double front twist and grasped the top of Hishiki's boulder-like skull. Ideally, the big guy was supposed to go down for the count like Goliath taking a hole in the head. Instead, Ban found his hand still attached to the bodyguard's noggin.

"...Bite?" he croaked.

Hishiki craned his neck and glanced at the lanky boy dangling behind him. Chuckling, he backed up, threw himself violently against the closest tree and used the snake man as a cushion.

"Ooomph!" Ban now knew what it was like to be a tree-hugger – literally.

Meanwhile, Shido stepped up for a renewed offensive, making indistinguishable feral sounds as he scratched and swung and kicked. And because Ban was still squashed between the tree and that human concrete wall, he felt the attack's intensity two-fold.

"Hello! Live person still here..." he gagged to no one in particular. Discovering an opening, Ban tried to creep away, only to be picked up and stretched out. Using the Get Backer like a paddle, Hishiki swatted his body into Shido.

"Oh no!" Ban wailed as his head made contact with the Beastmaster's solar plexus and together they rolled down a slope into oblivion.

Finding themselves lying on the ground entangled and face-to-face with each other, Shido snarled. "Why do you keep landing on me?"

"You landed on me first, dickhead!" Ban shouted, using Shido's neck as a crutch to push himself off.

"Gggaacckk..." Shido choked.

"Besides, it's not my fault he keeps using me as a goddamn cricket bat!" Slip-sliding in the grass, the duo groggily sat up while Hishiki caught his breath on top of the steep.

"Can't you transform into a whale or something?" Ban complained as he flipped his wet hair out of his eyes.

"Huh? Why a whale?" The Beastmaster wearily cocked his head.

"I dunno. To crush Hishiki with its weight?"

"My powers don't work that way, idiot!"

"Heh. You're useless as ever, Monkey Trainer." Ban got on his knees and breathed hard. "What'll work on a guy who's been drowned, set on fire, thrown from a moving vehicle and used as a human lightning rod?"

"You could try taking off his sunglasses for starters," Shido jeered. "Or, do what Madoka did and hit him where it _really_ hurts."

Ban considered this for a second. "No way, man. I don't care if that's Satan over there. Real guys don't kick other guys in the nads. That's just wrong."

Both men grimaced and nodded in agreement while their hands unconsciously wandered to the front of their pants.

"Well, there is one more thing..." Shido finally offered, looking away.

"Aa..." Ban sighed, glancing up in the opposite direction.

"We could, you know... help each other..."

"Work together?"

"Just this once..."

"Sheesh..."

Ironic that on a night as hellish as this, hell, indeed, froze over.

**---  
**

Ginji gnashed his teeth as Akabane's fingers clamped around his wrist like rubber hooks. The _hakobiya's_ trained eyes squinted and darkened into amethyst crystals as they examined the boy on sight, fixating on the cold beads of sweat on his brow and the draining colour on his golden, sun-kissed skin. Jackal's other, more mysterious senses had since picked up on Ginji's slowed internal signs and pulses. However, force of old habits made him revert to practices long abandoned – but never forgotten.

After all, he used to be a damn good doctor in a former life. And in some ways, he still was.

_Good._ Who would've thought that was a word that had ever been used to describe him. But no doubt, Akabane's diagnostic skills were still as razor sharp as his knives.

Prickly ions skipped across the tall man's immaculate rubber gloves, burrowed beneath skin and tickled his nerves. Snatching his hand away, Dr. Jackal frowned. "Looks like my planned entertainment has made an unexpected turn. I take it you're not well, Ginji-kun?"

"How can anyone be well with you around?" Ginji said as he nursed his wrist. "Otherwise, I'm fine."

Akabane shot him a doubtful glance from under the brim of his hat. "The marks of your lie blemish that innocent face of yours," he observed. "I must say I'm quite disappointed at your flagrant lack of concern for yourself, my boy. Would you rather I drag you to Mugenjou so we can finish this in a... hmmm... more conducive setting?"

Ginji backed away slightly and shook his head. "I'd rather be dragged to a restaurant, thank you very much," he joked feebly. There was a grain of truth in his retort.

"I see. Dinner before the dance, eh?" The doctor quipped insouciantly in his distinct chuckle-snort. He understood. "Rain check, then? I don't usually tango with unwilling partners." Akabane shoved his hands into his coat pockets, turned, and made a show of walking away.

Then suddenly, a lightning-fast ripple of black tore through the water-soaked air, sending droplets exploding up like a fireworks display of diamonds in the lunar light. An eerie whisper reached Ginji's ear even before the spectral mist circled and settled behind him.

"I would like to take out your twin, though."

The Get Backer swiftly swiveled on his heels just in time to feel the biting swish of blades racing across his chest. The straps of his pinafore cut, the white fabric fluttered down like a feather and folded onto his skirt.

Slash. _Ping!_ Steel met steel of a reinforced hand. They both jumped back.

Dr. Jackal's scalpels retracted into the recesses of his inhuman form. "Will not a part of the Thunder Emperor step up in your defense?"

The sounds of Ginji's exerted breaths echoed the rhythmic patter of water beating against Akabane's heavy trench coat. "Raitei doesn't exist. Not out here," he grunted.

"Oh, but he still resides inside of you. Think I can coax him out a bit?"

"Ban-chan will be here before that ever happens."

"Ah, yes. Mido-kun, your dark angel. I'm glad you told me that," the killer smiled in wicked anticipation. "It'll be interesting to see who will come to your aid first." With a wide wave of his arm and an outstretched hand, Akabane darted a flurry of instruments towards the blond.

Ginji shut his eyes tightly as he felt what seemed like a hundred mini-typhoons roar past just inches from his outline. It hurt him considerably to have to pull impulses from his nerves and brain in order to put up the polarized electromagnetic barrier around himself. The flaring spears cut through Ginji's clothes like paper, nicking his skin in a dozen places even as he repelled the attack away from his vitals. Lightheaded and briefly disoriented, the boy collapsed on his knees after the rain of terror ended.

"Have I woken him up yet?" Jackal coolly inquired between his teeth as they pulled the ruined glove off his right hand while the other one integrated the repossessed scalpels back within his flesh.

"Not even close," Ginji mumbled as he picked himself up slowly from the slippery wet grass, bringing the tattered ribbons of his outfit with him. He was purely on the defensive now until he could somehow find a power source somewhere in this unlit park. Panting heavily, Ginji reached into the huge gash in his bodice and tore the fabric shreds from the right side of his torso.

The Transporter took out a new glove from his pocket and slid it languorously over the ugly, gnarly mess of his scarred hand; a hand that was in stark contrast to the lean, sartorial figure he cut. That done, Akabane entwined his fingers and flexed them. Upon untangling, scalpels fanned out of both hands.

"Ready for round two?" Before he could finish his sentence he was already at Ginji's side swiping at his head. The retriever crouched and metal scored long, deep wounds into a tree's bark. Ungainly on his platform-shoed feet, Ginji slipped and laboured to stand up while Akabane rained scalpel after scalpel at his retreating form. Finally reaching the Ladybug's broken door, he shielded himself behind it as the doctor continued to use him for target practice.

_Ping!_

"Tell me, Ginji-kun. Why are you so concerned with Nakano? He's a stranger to you, he isn't on your contract, and as you well know, he's as dead as meat."

_Clang!_

"He's also someone's son!" Ginji shouted, daring not to peek out of his cover. "We won't return Keiichiro to his parents like this. His life is worth more than what was done to him."

_Zing!_

"My, my. Don't you think it's funny how even with so much death at your hands all you can think of is life, while I, who had so much life in mine, can only think of – death?"

The attack stopped and Ginji kept still behind the door panel. He thought Akabane sounded strange... different... almost as if he had ceased talking to him and began shifting into a rhapsodic soliloquy.

"That which is alive is only temporary. It's end, permanent. Since the beginning of time, life has always sought to defeat the inevitable curse of death. It is a battle it will always fight and it is a battle it will never win. Once, long ago, one of life's proponents, someone very different from myself, decided it was easier – and less painful – to simply shift to the victorious side."

"Do you ever wonder why Mido Ban was at Mugenjou in the first place the day your fates crossed?"

Dr. Jackal paused, shook his head and laughed knowingly. Behind the door, the Get Backer held his breath, listening carefully. "It's because opposites attract, Ginji-kun."

"That's why your partner and I are so drawn to you. With your powers of regeneration, you alone are the greatest challenge to death's permanence. But realize that, just like all life, you, too, have an end. And eventually, even the vicious spirit and bloodlust of your precious Ban-chan _will_ take over and one day try to destroy you. It is, after all, his destiny..."

Suddenly, a scorching narrow beam of crimson red sliced the aluminum door in half like a knife through melting butter. "...that is, if I don't kill you first."

The fiery menace of the Bloody Sword contradicted with the delicacy in which it was used to lift Ginji's head up, its ruthless tip dimpling the soft curve between his chin and throat. The eyes that gazed up at him were full of rage. _Good, _Akabane thought. The boy's anger was turning into hate.

"I wondered when you'd stop boring me," Akabane purred. "Now are you going to fight for your life or shall I end it for you?" It seemed as though he was addressing Raitei, not Ginji.

His definitive answer was a kick to the _hakobiya's_ feet from beneath him. In the drenched grass it was easy to lose balance and Akabane hit the ground.

Sitting on the grass, Ginji tried to find his step, but couldn't. Sliding back into the Ladybug's side, he reached out for one of the tyres for support, only to have scalpels dangerously miss his hand as they punctured the rubber. As the tyre deflated, giving out a loud hissing noise, Ginji looked up at Akabane standing over him, playfully tossing a blade from one hand to the other.

"I know you can do better than that," Dr. Jackal clucked his tongue and knelt on one knee in front of the cornered Get Backer. To Ginji's extreme alarm, the psychopath grabbed the hem of his skirt and ripped it open to reveal his bare right thigh.

"Wha-!"

"Sorry, but this is going to hurt a bit." Like a scene in time-lapse, Ginji watched helplessly as Akabane tossed his knife up, where it twirled beautifully; catching the moonlight in its reflective surface and looking like a falling shooting star. Then, as though he were pulled back into real-time, he hardly saw Akabane seize the blade from the air and thrust it downwards in one breathless move.

"_AAAARGGGHHH!"_ Ginji screamed in agonizing pain as the scalpel jabbed through the skin of his thigh and pierce into his femoral artery.

"Unleash him, Ginji-kun..." the doctor dared.

"NO!" he refused while holding onto his thigh, blood beginning to stream steadily underneath his hand.

"Very well, then." White steel like icicles came bounding towards Ginji's neck.

"Shit!" he gasped. Thinking fast, he grabbed the female robot head beside him and blocked the sharp lancets away from his face. The knives made a sickening crack as they entered.

"That was quick. Nicely done," Dr. Jackal complimented as he lifted Ginji to his feet and threw him against the hood of the car. With the screech of metal grinding against metal, the scalpels punctured deeper, broke skin and impaled the Hevn-lookalike's face.

While Akabane's free hand held Ginji's body down, the other sank precariously into his neck. The Get Backer desperately held off the steel-spiked head with his hand. But he knew his strength was fading fast.

_Ban-chan..._

**---  
**

"Yeee-aaagghhh!"

Hishiki slid his view from side to side and saw what looked like an express train and a freight train chugging towards him. Having been a former professional wrestler, he could fairly anticipate the contact points of his body they were aiming for in the slight deviations in the boys' movements; from the delineations of their postures and the hunching of backs, to the bend of knees and the extension of arms.

At once, Hishiki knew from sight these two proud, cocky blowhards were in no way going to give way to each other.

"Yeee-aaagghhh!"

Ban leapt first for a swift Snake Bite strike to the neck.

Using his wolf mimicry, Shido sprung up immediately after him from the opposite side, gunning for the area around Hishiki's shoulder.

With a knowing smirk, the monster squatted down and let the duo collide into each other.

Their bodies and limbs in a jumble, the Snake Bastard and the Monkey Trainer fell heavily, rolled a few times on the wet lawn and finally came to a full stop with Shido right on top of Ban – again.

Except, this time, the Beastmaster's jaws were clamped firmly on the crook between his neck and left shoulder.

"Gaaahh!" Ban yelled as he used his powerful right hand to roughly push Shido's face off. "What the fuck did you do that for?"

Shido's wolf form transformed back to normal, turning a sick shade of green after figuring out what he'd done. He sputtered. "When my beast instincts target prey I cease to distinguish between foe and fr – " He almost said 'friend'. "– foe."

The Get Backer felt his shoulder beneath the torn leather of his jacket and to his horror, found puncture wounds. "Asshole! I can't believe you bit me!" He tried moving his arm and grimaced. "And you sprained my shoulder! Shit! Now I have to get rabies shots!"

"Dammit! I don't have rabies! And you should be grateful I didn't go for your jugular, moron!"

"If I go hydrophobic, I'll let you know, you rabid monkey!" Ban hissed quietly. "And what the hell were you doing attacking from the top? You were supposed to be at the bottom."

"Bottom?" I didn't agree to that!" Shido harshly dissented. "And who said you should take the top?"

"I did, because I have the Snake Bite and you don't!"

The bickering rivals looked at each other funny, realizing that bit of repartee sounded – queer.

"Whatever we do, we've got to do it now!" the raven haired retriever urgently exclaimed as Hishiki made a beeline for the retreating men.

"Let's lure him near a tree," Ban said, watching the Protector's every step.

"Why? What's your plan?"

"The only way we're gonna conk this zombie out is if we bash his head hard enough into something solid." He gestured towards a tree that shaded a large jungle gym playset. "That cypress will do just fine."

Despite his skepticism, Shido followed Ban's lead. "And just how do you plan on moving that block –"Suddenly, he stopped and matte gray eyes twinkled. "Maybe – maybe if we knock the big guy off his center of gravity. Yeah. That might work..."

The Get Backer tossed a surprised sideways glance at his companion and smirked. The Neanderthal was capable of a bright thought or two, after all. "Now you're thinking, caveman."

"Tch!" Shido growled, yet couldn't help but smile at one-upping the snake in the ideas department.

When they got Hishiki where they wanted him in front of the large cypress tree, Shido moved to his position.

"When I tackle him below from the side –"the Beastmaster whispered.

"I'll hit him in front, blah, blah..." Ban grumbled impatiently. He then shot one last snark. "So I guess this means you're letting me be on top, right?"

"Mido!"

He chuckled and then got serious. The two dug into their respective stances. "Ready... Go!"

Channeling a species of Siberian brown bear long extinct in Japan, Shido charged towards Hishiki's side at a thirty-five miles per hour, one ton force of pure strength. The bodyguard's tactic of ducking the attack failed as the beast man dove down unexpectedly, grabbing his legs and sweeping him off his feet.

"Snaaake Bite!"

The split-second Hishiki had become airborne, Ban accelerated like a fired bullet, extended his arm and slammed the giant head-first into the tree. The impact sounded off a sharp crack followed by the slow creak and rumble of the tree being ripped by the roots out of its soil bed.

Shido tilted his head off the grass and watched as the poor cypress lurched toward the jungle gym and crashed, bringing Hishiki and Ban with it. The thundering racket of crunching plastic and twisting metal reverberated throughout the park and instantly, Shido knew, dead or undead, there was no way Hishiki was emerging from that disaster zone intact.

As the unburied retriever crawled into and over the huge dirt crater left by the tree's fall, chunks of fiberglass, tree branches and steel rods rolled down the heap of ground zero. A wet, brown head covered with leaves peeked out of the rubble.

"Is he... dead?" Shido blurted in between gasps.

"I doubt it," Ban replied as he climbed out gingerly and made the bumpy trek down the pile. Every few feet he drew a sharp intake of breath. Finally, both men settled on the grass and collapsed into the base of the uprooted cypress.

The Jagan master poked into his pocket for his cigarette pack and found a soggy lump of paper and tobacco. Crushing it in his fist, he threw it into the mound of junk behind him. As if he could smoke in the sprinklers anyway. "Got an idea what leaves or grasses I can light up here?"

"How would I know?" Shido sighed. Obviously, the bastard needed a fix real bad.

"I always thought you forest savages smoked some weird shit." Ban shrugged. The shoulder movement tore further at his muscles and he turned his head away and winced. "Fu –"He began to curse, but thought better of it.

Noticing the vain attempt to hide the pain, Shido rolled his eyes at the stubborn fighter beside him. He unknotted the bandanna around his wild shock of hair, wrung it out and flung it into Ban's lap.

Wordlessly, the Get Backer tied the makeshift bandage under his arm and around his shoulder using his teeth and right hand. That done, Ban laid his head on the tree. "We did good, you think?" He said after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence.

"Yeah, I guess," the Beastmaster snorted. Instinctively – unconsciously – he offered a gesture he normally reserved for the Volts. He slid a closed fist on the grass.

Ban stared at it and raised an eyebrow above the rim of his glasses. And before he had a chance to have second thoughts about it, he tapped Shido's fist with his own – and his rival tapped back.

As quick as that moment happened, so, too, was the speed in which they simultaneously shoved those hands into convenient pockets.

"Hey, this doesn't mean we're like _friends_ now or anything," Shido grumbled.

"Heh. No way, jackass!" Ban sneered.

"Prick"

"Jerk."

The two men smiled the subtlest of smiles. Deep down they were glad that weird scene was over and things were back to 'normal'.

"Oi. Considering Hishiki might resurrect and that we just destroyed a children's playground, isn't it about time we went on our way?" Shido suggested while pulling himself onto his feet.

"In a minute, man. The playground police won't be here till daylight," Ban remarked scathingly. He closed his eyes and wished only for sleep, even if for a minute - something that would maybe give him the illusion that this whole nightmare was over.

Except, it wasn't.

Ban's head jerked up from its perch on the tree trunk. His eyes were ablaze.

"Ginji!" He shouted and bolted out of there.

**---  
**

"This is unfortunate indeed," Akabane sighed, pushing his blades to the hilt. The knuckles of his hand were now pressed against the robot head. "Here you are with the points of knives just centimetres away from your neck and yet no one – nothing – is here to protect you." He brought his face nearer to Ginji's, close enough so that the long, stringy strands of his black hair dripped frigid water onto his hot cheeks.

"Could this be your karma? You being abandoned by the very thing you rely on in your time of need, the same way you abandoned Lower Town in the time of theirs?"

"Damn you!" Ginji choked, brown eyes glazing over in a furious amber shine. "I don't care if Raitei abandons me. But Ban-chan never will." With the last remaining ounce of his strength he managed to repulse Akabane's hand somewhat. "And what you said about him can't be true. Ban-chan may be possessed by a destructive curse, but he doesn't believe in fighting a battle to _cause_ death, but in fighting a battle to _get back _life.

Ginji looked straight into the frozen pale fire of Akabane's gaze, trying to reach for any semblance of humanity that remained in them. "Ban-chan said that as long as there is life, everyone has a right to make the most of it without anyone taking it away prematurely. We help people do that. That's why we're Get Backers..."

"...and that's why Ban-chan is nothing like you. Even with so much darkness inside of him he can still see the light. While you, who have so much light and life around you, choose to stay in the dark."

"What happened to you, Akabane-san?"

Dr. Jackal's eyes narrowed until they resembled daggers, gleaming in a gray-violet colour that was just as striking. Was the boy mocking him? No. The dolt was too innocent, too ignorant of the aberrations that made people like him do the things they did.

But something in the way Akabane set his jaw and the grim, iron line his mouth made seemed to hint he was, in a way, slighted. It was as if Ginji's words had swum around in his consciousness searching for a soul, and though not finding one, flirted perilously close to the fringes of a fathomless, hidden past.

He quickly dismissed it as a mere delaying tactic. How would a simple-minded fool like Amano Ginji ever begin to understand who – what – he really was?

"So, Mido-kun's mission is to get back life, yes? Then let's see if he can get back yours!"

Akabane leaned the full weight of his body into the plunge of the knives. Ginji grimaced and let heavy lids drop as the tips pierced through the thin veneer of the electrostatic field around him and touched skin. One centimetre, one second later, a necklace of small liquid ruby pearls adorned his throat and dripped down in filigrees of red; turning the necklace into a morbid, dangling lariat of blood.

In desperation, Ginji reached out his arm for something, anything.

He didn't want it to end this way.

"Your life is solely in your hands now, Amano Ginji," The homicidal Transporter presented his ultimatum. "But don't think I'll hesitate to sever that head of yours, my boy. You are worthless to me if you don't fight back."

"So save your life or let go of it. You decide."

No one could possible know what it was – call it karma, fate, divine intervention, coincidence, or instinct – but a strange force made that decision for him. Ginji's wandering fingertips suddenly attracted a spark from within the Ladybug. He called to it once more, and again, it responded. He realized it was the car's battery, the very same one he had charged the previous night. Ginji's eyes flew open and surprisingly, he almost smiled.

For on a night full of ironies, this was the only one not lost on him.

_Sorry Ban-chan_, the Get Backer apologized silently as he slapped his palm onto the hood. He hoped his friend would understand him getting back what was his to begin with. Besides, it was less about taking but rather more like – borrowing. All he needed was one surge.

Akabane was puzzled by how Ginji grappled harder on the android head, hardly expecting the ingenious, eleventh hour save the blond had managed to pull out of his sleeve (or under the hood, as was the case).

Excitable stray sparks of blue and green began to zig-zag and dance on top of the car as jolt after jolt was sucked up by Ginji's ravenous body. Immediately, the injection of fuel roused the incarcerated, sedate Raitei from stasis. Sensing the danger his alter-ego was in, he summoned charged particles from the ground, the air, even from the friction of Dr. Jackal's scalpels against metal parts; and increased the electricity exponentially.

Akabane noticed the change as he held on to his hat in the burgeoning static storm; felt the oppressive ionic wind that lifted his clothes and hair; saw the plasmic aura and chiseled contours of Raitei's grave face with its flashing eyes the colour of the sun.

"Good boy, Ginji-kun. You found a way," he laughed amidst the loud hiss and crackle that permeated the atmosphere. He relaxed his thrust on his weapons. "I knew all you needed was a little push in the right direction."

Despite the ease up on the sinking of knives into his neck, Raitei / Ginji refused to release the robot head and even curled his fingers over the scalpel edges.

He wasn't done with Akabane. Not yet.

But before Raitei bubbled completely to the surface, Ginji clawed back and pushed his twin back into the recesses of the prison which he guarded with his soul.

_This is my fight, not yours._

Resolved, recharged and returned to himself, Ginji fixed bright brown eyes on his tormentor. "I suppose I must thank you then for that push..."

"Hmmm?"

"With this!"

Like a tightly wound coil of pent-up energy, forks of lightning sprang up and exploded from his body. "Yeeee-aaaaghhh!" The current threw a spidery net over the 360, but most of it creeped up Ginji's arm and concentrated on the robot head between their hands.

Without warning, the fired-up android fluttered its eyes open. Circuits sizzling with a _bzzzt! s_ound, the scalpel studded Hevn-face stared right at Ginji as its plastic skin melted.

Then it spoke... or rather –

_Unnnnhhh... Yes... Oh God, yes!... Go on... Yes... Ahh... ahh... ahh... ahhhhhh!_

"Waaah!" Ginji screamed. Startled, he blasted everything he had. Electricity smote into the moaning, frying head, burned through the rubber of Akabane's glove and pierced into his body.

"Wha-" He gasped and tried to pull his blades and hand away. No good. Ginji held fast.

Meanwhile, the impulses continued to pour out of him and seep into the metal maze of the Ladybug's engine. The ill-fated car rattled and groaned as its lifeblood of petrol, oil and nitrous oxide began to boil and ignite; the pressurized heat rising rapidly, steadily, violently... until her insides couldn't take it anymore.

With a loud _bang!_ the gas tank burst. Fire ate into oxygen and escaping nitro and the ensuing inferno blasted Ginji, Akabane and the Subaru's hood into the night.

Finally, all was still.

**---  
**

Ginji woke up with his face pillowed on the damp, furry cushion of Natsumi's 'Hello Kitty'. Pulling himself up, he checked his cuts. The jolt of power clotted them quickly, although he knew he'd be limping for a while on that femoral artery wound.

Ginji briefly scanned around and saw no sign of Akabane. Looking no further, he crawled over to Nakano's human remains, and without any misgivings or queasiness, began to put them back into the cases. He cared not whether the wet plastic damaged the sensitive robot parts. As far as he was concerned, they didn't matter anymore.

"I got you back, Keiichiro. No one has to take anything more away from you, I promise," Ginji softly said. Taking the doll in his arm and a limb case in each of his hands, he wondered how he was going to possibly bring everything when Akatsume returned, tongue hanging and tail wagging.

The Get Backer knelt and pet the dog happily. "Hey, boy. I'm sorry about what Akabane-san did, but I beat him up real good for you." He smiled and stood up. "Whaddya say you help me with these and I'll feed you some of Natsumi-chan's sukiyaki later, huh?"

The Belgian Malinois barked. He didn't need to be asked. Already he began dragging one of the containers through the grass.

As the two walked away in the direction taken by Ban and Shido earlier, a body stirred from beneath the sheet of crumpled aluminum on the opposite side of the car.

Kicking the scrap of metal off of him, Akabane blinked and stared at the moon through the twinkling droplets of water that swayed in graceful arcs around him. Slowly, his deep breaths turned into an amused snort, which built up to a staccato of chuckles, and then finally erupted into a full-blown guffaw.

"Now _that_ was fun," the good doctor quipped to no one but himself. He sat up, poured the water out of his hat and set it back on his slick, ebony hair. Akabane found it interesting that Mido Ban's complexity, battle instincts and even his intelligence, were beginning to rub off on Ginji's dull, blond head. Which was a very good thing, he thought. Who knew what kind of fighting machine _Raitei_ would become if and when he learned to wield the power of _control_.

That kind of expectation made Akabane's blood tingle, made him want more.

He couldn't wait.

Dr. Jackal picked himself up and plucked his scalpels and his melted glove out of that odd, orgasmic, charred hunk of a robot head. Smiling at its utter ridiculousness, he strode over to the smouldering carcass of the Ladybug and nonchalantly tossed it through the window into the backseat. Without regrets, Akabane realized he and Mr. No-Brake would have to concede defeat and depart with their semi empty of cargo. This job, unfortunately, was not going to pay for his dinner tonight.

But at least he got the entertainment.

With that, he strolled away whistling a cheerful tune.

While Dr. Jackal left in satisfaction, the Ladybug mourned alone in her pathetic, mangled state. What she – and her unwitting owner – didn't know was that Akabane's little souvenir was still cooking from within and just happened to land in a pile of wadded tissues and a black satin skirt.

It only took one spark.

**---  
**

Ban thought he heard an explosion as he weaved at breakneck speed through the dim thicket of trees. _What the hell was that?_

"Ginji!" Already, he had left Shido trailing some ways behind, taking a few wrong, haphazard turns along the way; the result of not having the Beastmaster lead. But Ban knew his partner's strong signs were pulling him into the right direction.

He just hoped he wasn't too late.

"Dammit, twerp! If it isn't you being drunk, it's you being exhausted," Ban mumbled ruefully to himself. Why Ginji couldn't be like the Energizer bunny and keep going and going without the need for trivialities such as food. Be a lot cheaper, too, he thought.

Soon, the Get Backer reached a clearing and spotted a meandering figure in the distance. Ban's face lit up as he drew further into the shadows towards him like a moth to a flame of waving golden hair.

"Oi! Ginji! You made it!" he yelled, his urgent pace slowing down into a casual jog. "Did you kick the crap out of that whack job?"

"Ban-chan!" Ginji dropped his cases and flashed the 'victory' sign. He'd have glomped his partner if not for the fact he was to darn tired to run. Instead, with great relief, the blond's knees buckled and he crumpled to the ground.

Ban rushed over and bent down in front of Ginji. Holding him at arm's length, he surveyed his half-naked form, the barely-there remnants of his dress stained pink from the mixture of blood and water.

"You look like hell," Ban hooted.

Ginji tilted his head up. "You don't look so hot yourself," he sighed as he surveyed Ban's half-naked form, the barely-there remnants of his leather top stained brown from the mixture of mud and water.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot." He sat cross-legged on the grass beside his friend. "We ran into your old pal, the human lightning rod."

"Hishiki?" Ginji's mouth fell open. "He was here, too? Did you and Shido - Is he still... undead?"

Ban shrugged and lay down with his hands clasped behind his head. "Count on it." Then his tone turned serious. "You almost let a part of him out, didn't you?"

"Akabane-san tried to lure Raitei with everything he had. He almost got to him..."

"But he didn't."

The blond nodded, drew his knees next to his chest and encircled his arms around them. "I wonder what the outcome would've been if we'd swapped opponents."

"Forget it, dude," the brunette tossed a cautionary glare. "In your spent condition, that giant lunkhead would've pulverized you in seconds. On the other hand, Akabane – "Ban put a finger to his lips reflectively.

"– I really don't think he actually wanted to kill you..."

Ginji jerked his neck and frowned. "Well, it felt like he did."

"Nah... We amuse him way too much. Besides, I have a feeling Jackal is waiting to see which one of us –"He held his tongue abruptly. "Fact is, he's not doing us in anytime soon."

"Maybe," Ginji replied, slightly unconvinced. He laid his temple on his knee and gazed at his partner with eyes searching for reassurance. "But something Akabane-san said bothered me..."

"Awww, man. Why do you listen to his bullshit anyway? You know he's just messing with your head."

"Yeah, but when he mentioned you and Mugenjou and your destiny to destroy..." His voice floundered. "I desperately didn't want to believe him, and yet –"

"– something rang true." Ban's eyes were instantly engulfed by angry blue fire. Biting his lip, he fought back the urge to let turmoil cloud his apathetic expression. _Damn Jackal!_ It seemed as if every encounter with him resulted in the maniac unearthing a nugget of his well-kept past – and a deeper understanding of his curse. _How the hell was he knowing so much?_

Ban hiked up his violet glasses so they shielded his fury. He looked at his best friend straight in the eye. "Listen Ginji. Remember what Clayman said earlier about the balance of light and dark?"

He pursed his mouth thoughtfully. "Er, uh... chiaros-cu-kaburra?"

"Chiaroscuro, dummy," Ban snorted. He then took a deep breath and continued. "Some people believe that light and dark can't co-exist. But that's not true. They _must_ co-exist. It's the relationship between them that makes us see forms, colours, shadows, textures – the sight of life itself. In pure darkness, you see nothing but empty blackness. In pure light, you see nothing but blinding white. But balance the two –"

"– and you see everything," Ginji added softly.

"Aa. Us two, our powers are both a curse and a blessing. A blessing because they brought us together. A curse because it's possible the pieces of the puzzle we're assembling, the answers we've been searching for, will eventually lead us back to –"

Ban sat up and scooted nearer to his partner until their shoulders touched. He clenched his fateful hands tightly on his lap and cast an almost pained stare at them. "I won't lie to you Ginji. You know there are highly positioned figures _up there_ that are still determined to see which of the forces of light and dark will overcome the other." He paused. "Unfortunately, it seems our fight didn't end the day we left Mugenjou..."

"So, what you're saying is, we –"

The brunette nodded, not knowing how to go on as the incessant downpour of the sprinklers masked the single tear that cascaded down Ginji's pale cheek.

Ban missed nothing. "I promise you one thing, though," he said with clear conviction. "We changed our fates once. I'm sure we will change them again."

Gradually, a grin curled up Ginji's face.

"But of course, you knew that already, didn't you?"

"Sure, I did. Changing destiny. That's what Get Backers do, right?"

Ban smiled back and bopped the side of his friend's fair head. "Good. So now you can shut your pie hole and stop weeping."

Suddenly, Akatsume's head and ears perked up and barked an excited "Arf!" heralding Shido's entrance from behind a cluster of bushes.

"Thought you could lose me that easily, eh, Mido?" he huffed and caught his breath.

"You're surprisingly slow for someone who's supposed to mimic animals, Monkey Trainer," Ban jeered.

"I wasn't in any hurry to be with you, you know," Shido retorted as he bent over his Thunder Emperor and gawked at his raggedy appearance. "Geez, what happened to you? You look like you'd been – um... Are you all right?"

"I've been better," Ginji answered optimistically. "But we accomplished what we were tasked to do so I'm okay."

"You're okay, but I'm not," Ban grumbled as he pulled a clumpful of grass out of the dirt. "We dressed in drag, pimped ourselves, crashed the Ladybug, battled zombie psychos, and for what? A one way ticket to the police precinct for questioning."

"Oh, I don't know, Ban-chan. We did get back Nakano Keiichiro for his family at least."

"Yeah. The wrong parts for the wrong client and not a single penny to be gotten from this whole fiasco," he lamented.

"Well, look on the bright side. This doesn't affect your _almost_ one-hundred percent success rate any," Shido snidely observed. He offered both hands to the downtrodden Get Backers and effortlessly hauled them up.

"Haha. Statistics is hardly your strong suit chimp so put a sock in it," Ban seethed. The spinning bows of water gradually slowed into mere trickles and the park regained its cool quiet. "Oh, great. Now they kill the sprinklers. And just when I was about to strip and take advantage of the free shower."

"Keep whatever clothes you have on, idiot! No one wants to see your naked scrawny ass!" Shido thundered. "At any rate, unless you guys expect more goons to gun for your butts, you think that maybe, just maybe, we can finally go to the Honky Tonk?"

"Geez. You're starting to sound like a whiny broken record. Tsk. Fine. We're going." Ban vigourously ruffled his wet brown hair with his fingers and carried one of the trunks by the handles. He imagined the sight of a battered and bleeding Hishiki rising from his burial mound and plodding towards him like Frankenstein on crack. He shuddered. "But no way am I passing by that playground again. Nah-uh. We're pushing the Ladybug all the way home."

"We? Who 'we'?" The Beastmaster griped as he rewarded Akatsume with a brisk pat to the head before taking the torso case from him. "Wow. When did I become an honorary Get Backer all of a sudden?"

"Hey, why not? I think you and Ban-chan could work very well together if you really wanted to," Ginji implicitly noted.

"We don't!" the two inflated egos chorused.

The blond grinned.

Ban flinched. "It was a fluke brought about by dire circumstances!"

"Like, we didn't have a choice," Shido fluster-blustered.

"I hear ya," Ginji giggled as he marched ahead of the two bemused 'best frenemies'.

"Say, dimbulb," Ban wondered as the trio retraced their path back to the car. "I'm curious. Just how were you able to defeat Jackal anyway? If I remember correctly, you could barely power a penlight after we left the hotel."

Ginji stopped dead in his tracks. "Well... You see..." He turned and made round, sheepish puppy-dog eyes at his partner. "... the thing is..."

**---  
**

"B-b-b-b-b-b-b-b..."

The Jagan master sat with his long legs splayed on the grass, spittle dribbling from the corner of his slack jaw and blue peepers unblinking. _To hell with Raitei, Ginji is doing a pretty good job of killing me right now!_

"Ban-chan, I know she looks bad right now, but after we score a few big gigs, I'm sure..."

"Oi, Mido! Get your scaly hide off the lawn and help me put out this fire!" Shido commanded as he folded the driver's seat and tried to smother the flaming backseat with his suede vest. "Dammit! Why I'm even ruining a perfectly good vest for you, I don't know."

"What's the use? My car isn't worth scrap, for crying out loud!" Ban sobbed as he lurched on his hands and knees toward the halved driver's door. "Just look at this! Tell me how I'm going to re-attach my door when that jerk-off sliced it in two!"

"Uh, weld it?" Ginji proposed while biting his nails, staying as far away as possible from his stewed-over friend.

He aimed a missile glare at the blond. "And you! Why didn't you call me earlier?"

"Oh, so now you complain. I told you we should go back for Ginji, but noooo..." Shido chewed him out as he extinguished the last orange flames. The odour of burnt vinyl hung in the air and mingled with the pungent scent of petrol fumes and decay.

"You think if I'd known he was gonna go Raitei on the Ladybug and use my gas tank as an incendiary bomb I wouldn't have?" Ban passed his trembling hands over the blackened, steaming, labyrinthine mess that used to be his car engine.

"If _someone_ had bothered to buy lunch, maybe I wouldn't have needed to become a human jumper cable," Ginji stated matter-of-factly.

"Yeah. Just because you took Ginji out of Mugenjou doesn't mean you shouldn't feed him once in a while, you cheap bastard," Shido rolled his eyes and dumped a seared, unrecognizable lump of metal in his rival's hands. "Here. I'm quite sure this – thing caused the fire."

Ban eyed it with extreme contempt. "Ginji! How could you?"

"How could I what?" he beseeched with a hurt expression on his face. "I didn't throw that robot head into the car. Last I saw of it, it was stuck to, yikes! – Akabane-san."

The brunette shook his fist and pitched the carbonized head back into the rear seat. "That sonofabitch!"

"Probably payback for your lame impersonation of him," the Beastmaster reckoned sardonically.

"To be fair, I don't think Akabane-san _meant_ to..."

"Of course, you'd be defending him, you double-crosser! You, my best friend, colluded, connived and conspired with – of all people – that devil doctor to destroy my car! You might as well have run me over while you were at it." Ban ranted as he spread himself on the ground in front of the rear tyres.

"Hey. It's not too late. I can do it for them if you want," Shido snickered.

"What did I do to deserve all this?" He wailed and stomped and went bonkers. "_Obaasan_! Maria! Aesclepius! You hear me? Was there a fine print on my curse that I missed or what? Or is this your idea of fun? Or –"

The two former Volts mates stared wide-eyed at the possessed Get Backer. It took awhile before either of them spoke.

"Ginji?"

"Mmm?"

"Tell me again. How do you keep up with this fruitcake?"

"Oh, he usually doesn't get this bad... Most of the time."

"I keep saying he needs a girlfriend," Shido whispered. "But I take it back. Pity the poor chick who ends up with _that_."

Ginji weakly smiled and threw up his hands in resignation.

**---**

**

* * *

**

**A.N.2 : **The scene with Ban and Ginji talking about their destiny and shared connection with Mugenjou (and Akabane) is just pure speculation based on cryptic clues bandied about in recent manga continuity (and the fact that it's been revealed Ban is _very _connected to the mystery of the Belt Line). Other than that, no spoilers here. I just liked the idea of the love-hate nature between light and darkness and how it can be used to describe Ban and Ginji's relationship as friends - and foes. Frankly, I'll be happy if the series proves my speculation wrong, because I'd just cry if those two had to fight. (rant over)

**_Last Chapter : _**Epilogue. Finally, everyone makes it to the Honky Tonk. Is the crew going to be arrested? Did Natsumi wait up? Just what is in that microchip anyway? And will Ban ever learn to shut his trap? The rollercoaster adventure comes to an end.


	16. Epilogue

"**Sum of the Parts"**

**Disclaimer **: Don't own. But If I asked very nicely, do you think they'll give it to me:D

**A.N. : **It's finally the end of the road for this fic. So, I hope you forgive me if I use this Epilogue to go crazy on everyone's butt. Because when you get the whole crew together in close quarters you just know all hell will break loose. Remember the hospital episode? Exactly, hehe.

Again, a big thanks to everyone who's been patient enough to see this fic through to the very end. Your comments, encouragements and reviews have been wonderful. They mean a lot to me. I look forward to writing more for this fandom in the (hopefully, near) future.

Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it:D

CHEERS!

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* * *

**_Epilogue: (or why Chii from "Chobits" should be glad she's not a part of this fic)_**

Ban settled down considerably since Aesclepius (after much prodding and fitful, persistent yammering from the spiky-haired man) offered a fair assessment and explanation for all his troubles.

After poring through all the volumes of spells, curses, oaths, invocations, execrations, maledictions, and edicts that had been passed through the centuries from generation to generation down Ban's witch bloodline; Aesclepius finally decreed that his host's unbelievably unfortunate night could be attributed to nothing more than –

Incredibly pure, rotten luck.

_Not that I have a choice since you are the Queen's only heir, but I always wonder what it would be like to be bound to a great military general, a rapacious tycoon, or a ruthless politician instead of a hapless dork like you, _the snake spirit mused.

"SHUT UP!" Ban roared and banged his fist onto the boot of the 360.

"Geez! I haven't even said anything yet!" Shido scowled. "But I'll say it anyway. Fate dislikes you just as much as the rest of us do."

It took some time getting into downtown, but finally, the boys managed to push the Ladybug into the _Blade Runner_-esque, brightly lit, giant plasma screen landscaped avenues of Shinjuku, basking in the decadent charms of their home base while the dark, forbidding concrete façade of Mugenjou loomed ominously behind them.

But the retrievers, particularly Ginji, ignored its magnetic pull and beckoning whispers – never looking back.

From behind the steering wheel, Ginji peeked his head out of the door-less side. "On a positive note, Ban-chan, now we can get the leather upholstery you've always wanted." He paused, thought awhile and added enthusiastically. "Oh! And whaddya say we paint her another colour, like lemon yellow? Or how about metallic purple, to match your glasses?"

"I want my white Ladybug back, dumbass!" Ban exploded, catching the attention of drowsy night-lifers who stumbled out of the flashy pubs and 24-hour eateries. "Preferably with its door, windows, hood, seats, and engine intact!"

"Er... I guess white is a nice colour, too," Ginji cocked his head with a sunny smile.

"Me thinks your next client should be an auto repair shop or something," Shido suggested as he put little effort in pushing his rival's car. Why strain yourself when you had a man with a 200 kg grip to do all the work?

"Like, you're reading my mind, Monkey Trainer," he grouchily replied.

"Hey guys. You know what's weird? The blond Get Backer probed, poked and shook the charred chunk of metal in his hands.

"Steady the wheel, twerp!" Ban shouted. "Weird?"

"Yeah. This head. When I electrified it, it made these strange noises and kept saying _'yes', 'yes', 'yes'_."

"Huh?" Ban's glasses slid further down his nose.

"Why would it do that?" Shido squinted.

The brown-haired _dakkanya's_ sapphire eyes slowly regained their sparkle. Despite his foul mood, Ban couldn't help but see the vast humour in all this insanity. He giggled. "Hee-hee..."

"What's so funny?"

"Yeah?" Ginji seconded.

His partner was now consumed by fits of laughter. "There are only two reasons why someone would say 'yes' that many times. Either you're about to win something big, or..." Ban grinned naughtily. "... well, let's just say this android didn't win anything..."

"I still don't..." Shido frowned.

"Come on, zoo boy. There's got to be porn in Mugenjou, right?"

"Sure. But what's that got to do with – "And just like that, a hot flush spread across the Beastmaster's cheeks. "Oh. Ohhhh..." He, too, chuckled.

"Boy, you really are an amazing piece of work, Ginji. You can even make _artificial_ girls scream out... hahaha... "Ban failed to continue.

Ginji pouted and blinked huge Bambi eyes at his two friends. It was great they were (temporarily) bonding over this silly private joke they shared, but...

"Hey! Is it something I did? I don't get it..."

Oh, Ginji.

**---  
**

As the retrieval agents entered the smaller, darker, less frequented side streets of Shinjuku around the Honky Tonk, Ban heard a fluttering sound and sensed something perch on top of his head. His eyes traveled upwards.

"What the – ow!" Instantly, claws dug into his scalp. Ban tried to swat the pocket-sized fiend off.

"Damn stupid bird!" He shot a devilish glare at Shido. "Tell him to stop! It's not even light out yet. Are sparrows even supposed to be up at this hour?"

"No. But He's making an exception tonight just for you," he snickered.

"Yeee-owwwch!"

The bird scritched and scratched and pecked and pulled, making a more tangled mess of Ban's brown nest of hair than it already was.

"I thought we called it quits?" he pleaded.

_Chirp, chirp, cheep!_

"You broke your deal when you threw that rock back at him," Shido translated.

"But my windshield is ruined! By my own hands. Isn't that enough?" The Get Backer looked like a crazed headbanger trying to shake off his attacker.

_Chirp, cheep, cheep, chirp!_

"Still, he thinks he's entitled to a free shot at you."

"Fine! Go ahead!" Ban screamed in exasperation. "It can't be much worse than what I've already been through."

And then he felt a warm, sticky goo pool on his hair and ooze down his spiky strands in whitish streaks.

Ban rumpled his face in disgust. He kinda had a feeling the bird had saved up just for this moment. "Shit! Now I'm positive you told him to do that!"

"Who, me? You're out of your mind, freak," Shido scoffed as the sparrow flitted onto his index finger. He brought it closer and whispered mischievously. "I owe you one, my friend."

"I heard that!" Ban howled.

Its mission accomplished and revenge complete, the sparrow flapped its wings in front of his foe's face in a fond farewell and then flew away.

"Ahh... ah – ah – choo!" he sneezed. "Great. Now, I'm allergic. Hope you two are happy." Ban removed Shido's bandanna from his shoulder, wiped the gunk out of his hair with it and hurled it at the laughing head beside him.

The Honky Tonk's illuminated sign came into view. "Ahhh... home sweet home..." Ginji sighed ecstatically as he stretched his arms out wide. "... where our adventures begin and our troubles end. Right, Ban-chan?"

"Amen," his partner whistled. "I mean, what more could possibly go wrong?" Then blue eyes bugged out.

"Ginji! Watch !"

As the Subaru veered to the left and up the sidewalk, Ginji hit the brakes... but only after it ran over the café's sign. And together with the car's loose fender, it crashed down into the pavement with a screeching, clanging racket that disrupted the quiet of the neighbourhood.

"I'd say your big mouth, bastard," Shido said.

"Ooops. Hehehe..." The blond klutz scratched his head.

Paul popped out of the Honky Tonk's door and peered below at the glass fragments crunching underneath his shoes. "This goes on your tab," he stated calmly and without an inkling of surprise. He was _waaay_ past being surprised with these two buffoons. "And please move your car. A dead body within fifty metres of an eating establishment is a violation of Section 64, Article 15 of the Sanitation Code. Just so you know." He went back inside.

The Get Backers groaned in protest.

After a few minutes, the boys made it into their safe haven.

"Top of the morning, folks! We're back!" Ginji sang out as he, Ban and Shido dragged in everything that didn't contain a chopped-up body part in them. They tossed them in together with the huge pile of other metal cases that were scattered on the bar's floor.

"And I thought I had it bad at the Belt Line," Emishi tsk-tsked. He looked absolutely ridiculous in the sparkly flapper dress he wore over his clothes and the French powdered wig that was crooked on his head. Apparently, the clown was drowning out his sorrows by raiding Natsumi's shopping cart – and gulping down a few beers.

"You guys – _hic!_ – look like you just snatched those parts out of the hands of the Devil himself." He tipsily adjusted his pink-framed glasses for a better view of the bedraggled late-comers.

"Felt like it, too," Shido mumbled, goggle-eyed at the horrid wreck that was his friend. Ignoring the lush, he turned to the starkly contrasting figure of Kakei Jubei, who sat rigidly opposite Emishi. "Didn't expect to see you here, Jubei."

"I helped Haruki-san bring over his and Kazuki's collection of cases," he replied in his low, monotonous tone. The needle expert's gloved hands were clenched tightly together on top of the table. "Kazuki... You haven't happened to run into him, have you? He's been gone an awfully long time..."

Meanwhile, Ban spied a familiar short-haired pixie face grinning at him from the far corner of the bar.

"Himiko!" He boomed and stomped over to Lady Poison's side. "What the heck are you doing here? I thought you were in Kyoto?"

"Hello to you, too, jerk!" Kudo Himiko flouted. "I just got back. Saw the Honky Tonk's lights still on and thought I'd grab a cup of coffee before heading home. And boy, am I ever glad I did. Made it in time for this freak show."

Himiko scanned her ex-teammate from head to toe and mockingly pouted. "Paul. You're such a rip-off. These two scruffy vagrants look nothing like their picture." She held up a full-size, full-colour, photo paper-printed picture of the Get Backers in drag with a priceless deer-caught-in-headlights expression on their faces.

"Paul!" Ban went ballistic as he seized the paper out of Himiko's clutches. "I told you –"

"Hey! That's my copy!"

"Just collecting on my insurance, is all," the barkeeper smirked. "I knew the minute Hevn called you guys that you wouldn't be paying up. So, that photo graces my wall until you do."

"Dammit! You shouldn't have to make frickin' duplicates!"

"What? And deprive the rest of us the pleasure of seeing you in your drag queen splendour? So selfish as usual, Ban," Himiko cackled and grabbed her copy back. "Hmm... I wonder how much Dr. Jackal would pay for this. I'm sure he'll appreciate seeing you looking like a female version of himself...hahahaha."

"Grrr... You are _so_ on my list, seaweed head!" he shouted

"–And you've always been on _mine_, sea urchin!" she yelled back, indigo eyes narrowing.

Smiling, Ginji left the two to sort their differences, wondering if they would ever be able to kiss and make up. Walking down the corridor with Akatsume at his heels, his heart practically melted when he spotted a lone, dark head nestled within the confines of the farthest booth.

He hardly expected Natsumi to wait as long as she did in which was already a late, pre-dawn hour. Surely, Paul, Emishi, or even Jubei would've gladly escorted her home if she hadn't insisted on staying. But stayed, she did.

Ginji crept quietly towards the sleeping girl who had foil-covered bowls and plates arranged neatly in front of her. He resisted the urge to say hello, taking a few precious seconds instead to marvel at how cute and angelic Natsumi was in her slumber; breathing softly, head pillowed on her arms, jet-black hair falling in wisps across her delicate face. But most of all, Ginji envied how much at peace she seemed, oblivious to the noisy bickering, so detached from the danger and troubles that constantly plagued the Honky Tonk regulars around her.

And then _that_ feeling struck, as swift as an arrow shot through the heart. Ginji realized he wanted that peace, too - for as long as he could have it. And he found himself imagining he was sharing it with this sweet, uncomplicated girl... a peace that lasted through the day, into the night, everyday for the rest of his life.

He knew Natsumi could wait this long. But would she wait forever?

The blond Get Backer went giddy at this strange epiphany. But first thing's first...

He sure wasn't going to start a potential courtship looking the way he did now.

Bending over the dog, he instructed. "If anyone tries to wake her up, bite him in the butt." Grinning from ear-to-ear, he headed into the back room to clean up.

Dressed in his regular clothes and finally putting what he hoped was his first – and last – drag episode behind him, Ginji opened the door and saw his partner blocking the way. He had a bottle of _pinot noir_ filched from Paul's stash in one hand and 'Hello Kitty' in the other.

"Forgetting something?" Ban roguishly teased between cigarette puffs as he waved the doll in his friend's face.

"Of course not," Ginji answered shyly. He took the stuffed animal with slightly nervous hands. "From the both of us. I remember."

The brunette raised an amused eyebrow and leaned a free hand on the door frame. "Yo. Go easy on her. The way you operate..."

"Ban-chaaan..." he whined. His cheeks were tinted bright pink. "Gee. It's not like I'm asking her to marry me or anything like that."

"Damn better not be!" Ban pulled on Ginji's ear. "We've still got millions of bucks to make and thousands of cute chicks yet to charm the pants off. I can't do it alone!"

"Yeah. 'So many girls, so little hope', you once said." Ginji laughed. "Hey. I'll always be a sucker for a pretty face, that's for sure." His voice softened as he stepped out. "But Natsumi-chan... She's special."

"I know, pal. I know.' Ban gazed back wistfully at the blond before closing the door behind him.

Deciding to let Natsumi sleep, Ginji placed the doll on the seat next to her. Before leaving, though, he couldn't help but sweep the strands of hair that covered her features and tuck them behind her ear. In doing so, his finger accidentally grazed the high school student's porcelain cheek. She stirred.

"Mmmm..." Natsumi mumbled as her eyes slowly drifted open. "Gin-chan, you're – oh!" She jumped wide awake. "I heard you guys got into a car crash. Are you all right?"

"Don't worry, we're fine. The Ladybug is a total wreck, however." Ginji assured her. He took on a guilty expression. "I didn't mean to wake you –"

"I'm glad you're okay," she breathed a sigh of relief and lost the concerned edge in her tone. The teenager shook her head. "I shouldn't have fallen asleep after Hevn told us what happened. I'm so sorry about how the job turned out. You poor boys must've had quite a shock, huh?"

"Aa." He didn't want to elaborate further. The less gory details she knew, the better. "But that doesn't mean we don't appreciate all the help you gave us today." Ginji held out the toy. "For you. From the very grateful Get Backers," he announced spiritedly. "It's a little wet, though..."

"A 'Hello Kitty'! Really? For me? I- I don't know what to say!" the waitress exclaimed, hopping excitedly. Ginji thought the pure joy she radiated said more than enough.

Natsumi tilted her head curiously as she regarded the doll in her arms. "But why does she have a blindfold? And what are these handcuffs for?"

"Uhh, well..."

"Oh, wait. I get it..." She untied the strip of cloth over Kitty-chan's eyes and deftly slipped the handcuffs off her furry little paws. Triumphantly, she declared, "See? Now she looks just like Ban-san in his witch costume! _Kawaii!_"

The spiky-haired Get Backer stopped by the table just as he caught the compliment. "Wow. So now I look like a stuffed cat. Terrific," Ban sighed while buttoning up his shirt. He then followed it up with a content shrug. "But I suppose it's preferable to being compared to Jackal or Sadako." He hesitated.

"Thanks, Natsumi. That's probably the nicest thing anyone's said about me the whole night."

Surprisingly, he wasn't being sarcastic at all.

"No. Thank _you_. It was a very sweet gesture," the young girl insisted, taking his hand in hers and giving it a warm squeeze.

Ginji watched the whole exchange with a small smile – and a tiny glint of hurt in his eyes. It was only natural she show appreciation to the smarter one first, he thought.

Ban saw this and almost laughed in exasperation. He jabbed a thumb in his partner's way. "You should thank the softie here. It was actually his idea."

Natsumi turned to the blond romantic with a starry gaze that told him outright, _Of course I knew that, dummy._

"I love – the gift, Gin-chan. You're so thoughtful. Thanks!" she said quietly without taking her eyes off him. Then the girl placed her hands on Ginji's shoulders, stood on tip-toe and gave him a lingering kiss on the cheek.

Not knowing what to do, he responded unconsciously by wrapping an arm around the small of Natsumi's back and pressing her close...

And forgetting to let go.

Heated, intrigued stares beamed around the two compromised youngsters. Even blind Jubei could sense the scene and reacted with a slight smile. Looking straight into each other's eyes and with matching crimson flushes on their faces, Ginji and Natsumi untangled themselves and giggled with embarrassment.

"Um, anyway..." she quickly shifted her attention to the food and began tearing the foil covers off the bowls. "You two must be starving."

Ginji drooled at the complete spread. "S-sukiyaki!" he gurgled.

"As promised," Natsumi grinned. "And I baked an apple strudel topped with lots of vanilla icing just the way you like it, Gin-chan."

The Get Backer thought that maybe Akabane actually did manage to kill him, since he currently felt like he was in heaven.

"Ban-san, I saved some for you, too."

"It's okay. I kinda lost my appetite," he claimed. Ban shook his rapidly emptying bottle of wine. "Besides, tonight I'm on a liquid diet."

"You're kidding me." Ginji's mouth gaped incredulously. Greedy Ban-chan giving up his share of the grub? Now he was certain for sure he was in paradise.

"I kid you not. Knock yourself out." His partner waved his hand. _I know I will._

Ginji sat down. Not even bothering to microwave the food with his ultra high frequency electricity, he dug in while alternating between feeding the dog and telling a giggling, gasping Natsumi all about his escapades at the club and hotel. So the beef was cold, the noodles soggy and the vegetables limp...

But he thought it was the best meal he ever had.

**---  
**

_Ding! Ding!_

The Honky Tonk's door chimes cheerfully rang out followed by a second, gentler tinkling of bells and the rustle of silks caught in the night breeze.

An irritated, breathless voice prattled non-stop. "Sorry I'm late, but it was unbelievably impossible to get a taxi out of Shibuya at this hour. Fortunately, a nice man offered me a ride here. Nice, that is, until he tried to get fresh with me. Heh. Well, I made sure he won't be using those loose lips to kiss anyone anytime soon..."

"Er..." Emishi muttered as he tried signaling to Kazuki by frantically cutting his index finger across his neck.

"Kazuki! What happened? Did you say someone tried to attack you?" Jubei exclaimed as he emerged out of the corridor wielding gigantic-ass needles that came out of nowhere.

"Oh, uhh, Jubei. You're still... here," the surprised _annaiya_ stammered.

Big, fat sweatdrops popped out one-by-one behind everyone's head (everyone, that is, but Kazuki's unwitting sworn protector) as the astonished crowd gawked speechlessly at the gypsy-costumed queenly vision that glided in through the door.

Literally, 'queenly'.

"Y-y-you, too?" Shido shook his head and covered his eyes.

"It was part of the job, okay?" the string master complained defensively, standing with arms akimbo, wearing a rhinestone tiara in his long chestnut hair and a royal blue sash across his body that proclaimed _'Ms. Dolce Vita Sweetheart'_ in glittery letters.

Himiko broke the silence with gleeful clapping. "This is too good to be true! Now I'm really, really happy I came over!" she raved hysterically.

"Whoa, Thread Spool! Way to go!" Ban stepped forward and offered his bottle in a toast. "I knew you'd win that beauty contest hands down."

"Hmph! No thanks to you!" Kazuki pouted prettily as he banged his tacky, Oscar-inspired, female nude trophy onto the counter." Though a couple of girls did come over and tell me I got their sympathy vote because they saw me - and I quote - bitch-slap you."

"Hey, I'm glad I could help," the snake man drunkenly smiled.

The Fuchouin heir blew past the Get Backer and snubbed him. "Everyone wanted to take pictures and guys kept hitting on me and asking for my number," he groaned.

"Who kept hitting you?" Jubei demanded.

The whole crew rolled their eyes in unison.

"And apparently, they expect me to show up for the monthly finals! I don't know what to do..." Kazuki then stopped, clenched his fists and turned on his heels to face the cause of his dilemma.

"This is all your fault, Mido. And do you know what the most humiliating part of the contest was? The so-called 'talent portion' where we had to dunk our faces into a bowl of whipped cream, catch a cherry with our teeth and then try to tie a knot in the stem using only our mouths. In short, it was a total nightmare, you jerk!"

"You're welcome," Ban sniggered. But his perverse sense of curiosity was piqued. "So. Did you?"

"Did I what?"

"Tie a knot in the cherry stem."

Kazuki gracefully sat on the bar stool next to Himiko, eyes shining equal parts mischief and indifference. He coolly replied, "Well, I won, didn't I?"

Those in the know raised their eyebrows higher than Mt. Everest.

"Oh my God. I think I'm in love," Lady Poison swooned.

"I don't understand," Natsumi wondered out loud. "Why is that considered a talent? Hmm... Maybe I should try it out, too."

"You do that," Emishi slurred. "_Hic!_ And someday, you'll make one lucky guy a very happy man." He pulled down his outrageous glasses and nudged Ginji with a knowing wink.

"Emishi!" Paul roared. He slapped his palm to his forehead. _I really should've given Natsumi the day off,_ he realized regretfully.

"I told you that Snake Bastard was bad luck," Shido commiserated with Kazuki.

He quickly downed a shot of cold sherry and regarded Shido's torn shirt and sooty vest. "I see you got caught with him, too."

"Lesson number one. Forget Ginji. The next time we bump into Mido, just run like hell in the opposite direction," the Beastmaster sighed.

_Ding! Ding! Ding!_

"My goodness! Did a weapon of mass destruction just hit your car, Ban-kun?" Hevn warbled. As usual, her own 'weapons of mass distraction' made a grand entrance before she did.

"Great! I see everyone's here – plus you." Hevn eyed Himiko with suspicion.

"Don't mind me," she remarked off-handedly. "I'm just enjoying the free circus."

The mediator flashed her a plastic smile and continued. "I've smoothened things over with the police."

"Excuse me, Hevn-san. Forgive me for asking, but did you actually negotiate with the authorities at this time of night wearing _that_?" Kazuki dubiously expressed, having noticed her black micro-mini and fire engine-red spandex tube top that hazardously teetered on the brink of common indecency. Surely, he wasn't the only one wondering _how, oh how_ she defied the laws of physics by not having that thing around her waist already.

"Hmm... I should ask the same of you, Princess Jasmine. " Hevn tipped her head.

"What Thread Spool is too polite to ask is, how you managed to convince the cops of our innocence looking like a street hooker," Ban put it more bluntly.

"No doubt, it's part of her 'smoothening' technique," Paul suggested.

"Yeah. In a _'Basic Instinct'_ kind of way," Ban snorted.

"You boys know me so well," Hevn chirped sarcastically. "Anyway, the bad news. Our client just confessed to the murder of Nakano Keiichiro. So you can say _sayonara_ to that fifteen million yen payoff, I'm afraid."

"Awwwww..." The gang thundered a collective grumble.

Hevn put up a finger to silence them. "The good news is, none of you need to be questioned by the police on your whole involvement in this."

"Feh. Some good news that is." Ban blew a big cloud of smoke.

"Since your fingerprints are all over the parts, consider yourselves very fortunate," she hissed and gave him a hard tweak on the arm.

"Okay. But how exactly were we involved in this murder case in the first place?" Kazuki asked.

Hevn slipped into the window booth and flipped her long flaxen hair dramatically. "Dr. Jackal."

Everyone in the Honky Tonk, except Ginji, gasped.

The agent proceeded to narrate details that pretty much confirmed everything that Akabane had told Ginji about the fake hijacking, the missing body parts and the microchip inside Nakano's head. Ban further corroborated the conspiracy by explaining Kojio and the _Yakuza's _role in the whole caper, while Ginji related the circumstances of Dr. Jackal's mission.

"So that 'mysterious man' who called your client was Jackal?" Himiko frowned, annoyed that a fellow _hakobiya_ could flagrantly toe the lines of their profession. "That maniac has gone too far."

"I don't know whether or not to be flattered he thought highly enough of us to recommend our services," Kazuki pondered.

Shido shrugged. "Well, we are the best in the business, after all."

"And the Nakano kid? How was he mixed up in this debacle?" Ban deeply inhaled on his cigarette. "What was so important about that chip?"

"Ah, and now the sad part of this story." Hevn shifted in her seat and clucked her tongue. "By now, you're all aware Nakano Keiichiro was this computer and robotics engineering genius, right? He had corporations here and abroad trying to recruit him into their ranks. But he chose to do his thesis research with a local robotics lab that was small but very progressive, radical, and cutting edge – our client."

"Cutting edge, indeed," the spiky-haired man punned.

Hevn rolled her eyes. "So Nakano joined the client's scientific team and shared his research under the condition he was going to be made a partner of the company upon graduation from university. It is said Nakano considered the client some sort of mentor and father figure." She paused.

"A few months ago, Nakano developed an A.I. that utilized a unique dual 'touch-emotion' synthesis device."

"Touch-emotion synthesis?" Ginji repeated curiously. "What's that?"

"It means that a robot with this chip can coordinate its movement and respond to touch and body language simply by sensing pressure, heart rhythm, body temperature, nerve impulses, and brain activity. It doesn't need a voice command to tell it what to do," Kazuki expounded.

"Huh?"

"You're such a nerd, string bean," Ban stubbed out his cig and slammed his half-empty bottle of wine on the table in exasperation. "But you're right. It's like this, Ginji. Pretend you're a robot, okay? Then suddenly, Natsumi kisses you. Nice, huh? But because you're a robot, you wait for her to order you to kiss her in return, saying something like, 'Gin-chan! Kiss me, you fool!'"He tried, and failed miserably, to mimic Natsumi's voice.

"But she doesn't. So you just stand there and do nothing."

"Now, if you had a 'touch-emotion' intelligence chip inside of you, you'd kiss Natsumi because you feel like you _need_ to, you _have_ to – instinctively. It's all in your programming."

"Got it?"

Too astounded for words, Ginji turned chibi and weakly nodded. He looked like a giant red beet. Meanwhile, Natsumi sat stiffly in her seat, blushing profusely.

"That was beautiful, man," Emishi cried, putting an arm around Ban's shoulder.

"Glad you've finally joined the Mido Ban-sama fan club, Joker." The two lushes blithely clinked booze bottles.

"The bastard's drunk, isn't he?" Shido made a face.

"As a fish," Himiko confirmed.

"So Hevn," he burped. "This A.I. of Nakano's. Combined with speech synthesis and a perfect anthromorphic body..."

"... and you've got an android that's more human than ever before," she finished.

"Still, I don't know why that's practical in today's world. I can see the A.I.'s benefits being used in prosthetics, medical procedures or even explosives defusing. But in a complete human robot? It doesn't make sense." The string master was thoughtful but hadn't quite arrived at the answer yet.

"That's just how Nakano had originally planned on developing his invention, Kazuki-san. Our client, though, didn't quite see it that way." Hevn was having a ball drawing out the suspense.

"How is that?" Ginji drowsily asked.

"Think about it, people. Why would you possibly want to touch a robot and have it touch you in return?" Ban quizzed, haughtily perched on top of the bench with one foot on the seat and the other on the table, looking like a wine-guzzling, chain-smoking 'Thinker'.

Silence.

"Bravo, Ban-kun. Naturally, I'm not surprised you figured the whole thing out mainly because your mind is a cesspool," Hevn groaned. She came to the clincher of the tale. "Unbeknownst to Nakano, our client was maneuvering behind his back, making arrangements to sell the anthro-android division of the company – bundled together with Nakano's A.I. designs – to the world's largest manufacturer of adult toys."

"Adult toys? Oh –"Kazuki's bells jingled. "Then that means –"

"We got back hi-tech, mechanical blow-up dolls," Ban proclaimed emphatically. He elbowed Kazuki and whispered. "I guess that little dream I gave you wasn't so far-fetched after all."

"Don't remind me!" he snarled through his teeth.

"Robots. For sex?" Emishi's glasses slid off his face.

"The talking head. So that was what it was for," Shido added. "Holy crap. I thought it might've been some programmer's idea of a joke."

"No joke," Hevn shook her head. "Of course, when Nakano learned of his boss's intentions, he transferred the prototype blueprints to a microchip, had it surgically implanted somewhere in his head and then decided to have his research patented immediately. Nakano figured the only way anyone was ever going to get to that chip was to dig it out of his dead body... So to cut a long story short – "The _chuukaiya_ hesitated and bit her lip.

"Let me guess," Ban interpolated. "Our client kills Nakano, probably in an argument over the chip. Then discovering he's passed the point of no return, he fast-tracks the sale in secret by holding an auction, and subsequently, the fake hijacking. So, when the android parts begin turning up all over the place, they can be attributed to the supposed 'theft'."

"Two birds with one stone. The client no longer claims responsibility over Nakano's lost research nor his missing body. How cunning." Kazuki was slightly awed.

"But because the whole scheme got fucked up, the client hires us to get the stuff back. I bet he was going to pin the corpse on us, fly off to Switzerland, 'retire', and hie it off to some non-extradition country just in case," Ban concluded. He took a long pull on his bottle. "I can't believe we came this close from being Get Backers to 'Body Hackers'."

"True. Who knew your breach of contract and incredibly bad luck would actually be a blessing in disguise?" Hevn noted.

Paul agreed. "Sure you lost your money, your car, and even your pride. But at least you're free to work another day, yes? You know, to pay your tab and such..."

"I hate to say it, but you guys did the right thing," Shido admitted. "You foiled a crime and Nakano Keiichiro gets justice and a proper burial." He rubbed the top of Akatsume's happily panting head. "For what it's worth, at least I got a new friend out of all this."

"And I got 25,000 and this crown," the string-style expert realized, not _too_ disappointed with his outcome.

"I finally entered the fringes of the Belt Line and survived. I suppose that's something," Emishi muttered.

Ban wailed. "And I got a beat up shoulder and over a million yen worth of car repairs. You're not making me feel any better, you assholes!"

"I think that's the general idea, dummy." Himiko smiled.

"Well, there's one valuable lesson to be gained from this mission of yours," Jubei spoke up.

"Yeah. The minute you invent something, get a lawyer and patent the hell out of that sucker pronto," the snake man drolly remarked.

The gang fired him dirty looks.

"No. Bad things may sometimes happen to good people, but good things never happen to bad ones."

Ban narrowed his eyes. "And you're lumping in the latter group or the former?"

"Could go either way, if you ask me," the Beastmaster said.

"Never mind that. The bigger question is – "The wannabe comedian zig-zagged down the floor to the hill of metal cases and shoved his hands in his pockets. Rocking on his heels, Emishi grinned hopefully. "– Will these robots, you know, _work_?"

"Hmmm... Of course, they don't have the touch-emotion sensors in them yet, but that doesn't mean they can't just lie there and uh, take it." Hevn stood up and approached the pile with a clackity-clack of her stilettos. Drumming her fingers on her chin, she glanced at her watch. "We have a couple of hours before these beauties are taken into evidence by the cops, and it's not like our _former_ client is in any position to mind, so –"The agent turned to the expectant crowd with topaz eyes glowing wild like a tiger's. "Whaddya say we find out?"

**---  
**

"What is this I'm touching?" Jubei wondered as he passed his hand over something small and soft.

"Whoa! That – that can't possibly be natural in real life, can it?" Himiko giggled.

"Holy cow! This gal's _anatomically correct_!" Emishi had an idiotic grin on his face as he stuck his fingers where he normally shouldn't.

Kazuki raised a surprised eyebrow. "No kidding? Both –"

"Yup. All runways are cleared for take-off. Or rather, _take-in_, hehe."

Artificial bodies and limbs were strewn on the bar's floor with the gang sprawled about assembling and tinkering, playing like excited little orphans on Christmas toy drive.

Ban tapped Hevn's shoulder. "Yo, Hevn! Monkey Trainer and I –"

"Not now! I'm busy!" she barked, her paws 'busy' all over the six-pack abs of the male torso she had hostaged.

"We want to know how much each of those parts are worth," Shido pestered on.

"Yeah, so he can finally become Madoka's lawfully wedded handyman full-time," Ban razzed.

"Why you !"

Peeved at having her one-on-one interrupted, the agent picked herself up, smiled sweetly, and pinched the rivals' cheeks with each of her hands. "Oh, you boys are just adorable when you fight. So, wanna know who won that silly bet, do you?"

"Yeah!" they chorused.

_Smack!_ Her palms made simultaneous contact.

"Ow!"

"What the –"

"No one, you morons!" Hevn shrieked. "If you think I'm going to lose one of my retrieval experts to a stupid dick-swinging contest, you've got another thing coming. Now, shove it back into your pants and behave yourselves!"

The two shrank away, holding their stinging cheeks and spitting colourful curses at each other.

Meanwhile...

"You might want to leave the assembling to me. I don't think that thigh goes with that leg," Kazuki chuckled at his best friend's grotesque attempt at re-constructing a leg, as he combined a muscular male thigh with a slim, shapely female shin.

"I can handle it," Jubei insisted determinedly, disassembling the limbs and fumbling around for the correct parts. "Even though I may someday regain my sight, it doesn't mean I shouldn't take advantage of every opportunity to perfect my instincts or sense of touch. They may prove useful in ways you least expect."

"Oh, Jubei," Kazuki smiled.

"Oh, barf!" Ban retched.

"Man, what a babe!" Emishi whistled, practically slobbering over his nearly complete female robot. "All she needs now is a pretty little head."

Shido held out a large hunk of charcoal in his hand. "This one looks like Miss Hevn... Well, used to look like her anyway." He dropped it like a hot potato on Emishi's lap.

Hevn and Himiko were salivating over their fully assembled piece of beefcake.

"Hey, don't you think this robot head sort of resembles Ban-kun?" Hevn queried.

"Pffft... I don't know," Himiko sniffed and slightly turned her view away from the uncanny likeness. "Like I care."

"Liar," she ribbed knowingly in muted tones.

Lady Poison's eyes grew wide and vehemently waved her hands in protest. "Wait, it's not what you think!"

"All right, all right. No need to get all defensive," the mediator snickered. She then wrinkled her nose. "But come to think of it, staring at this robot is just like staring at Ban... naked... except with a bigger, well-endowed body." Hevn gagged. "Which is kinda gross."

At that moment Ban came over and knelt beside the buxom blonde. "You girls – _hic!_ - aren't talking behind my back, are you?" he drawled. Then suddenly, without warning, he threw out his arms and grappled the agent's breast with one hand and a robot's boob with the other. Giving both a comparative squeeze, the snake declared, "Well, I'll be... I guess your boobs _are_ real, after all – _OOOF_!"

Hevn showed appreciation for his acknowledgement with a wicked back-hand to his plaster strip-dotted face. "Why, thank you for finally realizing the truth, you pervy, drunken lout." She adjusted her top. "Truth hurts, doesn't it?"

Slumped over a bar stool, Ban whimpered in the affirmative.

"Know what? With a bod like this, who needs a head, right?" Hevn scoffed as she twisted the Ban-lookalike's neck off the torso with an almost brutal precision. Both she and Himiko had a strange sense of satisfaction having done that.

"Hey boys! Want this head?" she hollered and rolled it down the floor like a bowling ball towards Emishi and Shido.

"Sure, why not?" Emishi cheerfully obliged. Whistling, he placed a long, brown curly wig on the head and stuck it on the female android's body. With a finger to his lips, the Loulan Dancing Whip specialist examined the results thoughtfully.

"Eh. I guess it's not so bad. She's definitely doable." He nodded.

Shido went ape. "Are you out of your mind? Have you no standards at all? I can't decide whether that thing is Mido as a butch or a drag queen! Either way, that looks like no girl I've ever seen."

"Oh, so you're an expert on human females now. Imagine that," Ban applauded as he finished off the bottle of wine, most of it on his white shirt. "Oi, don't rag on my face just because I probably make a better looking chick than any of you gorillas –"He pointed at Kazuki "- except maybe for you, 'Princess Dolce Vita'."

The long-haired man frowned and guiltily swiped the tiara off his head.

The Get Backer lit his nth cigarette of the night and lazed jauntily with his elbows on the counter. His piercing blue eyes roamed across the room and passed each one on the floor. He burst out laughing.

_Oh crap._ Paul cringed and retreated to the farthest corner of the bar. He knew that laugh, a demoniacal cackle that meant the snake man was about to bare his fangs and spew acrid venom. Worse, Ban plus his big mouth multiplied by alcohol was likely going to equal half-a-dozen crazies with lethal weapons trashing the place.

For a second, Paul mourned why, oh why, of all the cafes in Shinjuku, Amano Ginji had chosen to come out of the rain and walk into his – dragging all these delinquents with him.

"And what's your problem?" Shido demanded.

Ban playfully blew smoke rings into the stuffy air. "I just find it amusing to see all of you going bananas over some mannequins. You who are supposedly the most feared professionals in Japan. And then I realized why." He cut himself off for a much needed belch.

The gang glowered and silently seethed, waiting for a reason they knew they weren't going to like.

"This is the closest your sorry asses are going to get to a naked, willing person anytime soon." The cocky retriever laughed and flashed the "L" sign. "What a bunch of desperate, pathetic losers."

"Excuse me?" Kazuki plucked a vibrating bell out of his hair.

"Who are you to talk, bastard?" the Beastmaster growled.

"Oi! I'm not the one who mimicked a baboon by staring at that robot's ass all night," Ban simpered. "Monkey Trainer, I suggest you take that android home and practice on her for a while before you marry Madoka. 'Cause I don't think she'll appreciate being 'treated like an animal', if you catch my drift."

_Yikes! Not good. Not good at all._ Paul slid down behind the counter and cowered.

Ban pointed an accusing finger at Emishi, who still had the drag queen doppelganger in his arms. "And you, Joker! You better pray these sex robots go into mass production within your lifetime, because with your corny, sucky pick-up techniques? They're your only hope anything even close to resembling a girl is gonna say 'yes' to you. Ever."

Ban was on a roll. Like laser-guided missiles, his gaze targeted Himiko next, whose blue-violet eyes were popping out of her tiny face. "Ah, Himiko, you poor girl. When will you learn that violence is not a turn on? Well, except for the likes of that creepazoid sonofabitch Kagami. Anyway, seeing your choice of boyfriend is limited to a jackass and a male doll, I say stick to the doll, kiddo. At least he won't cut you up." He winked at the stupefied teen.

"I guess it's my turn now, huh? Take your best shot," Hevn boldly dared. She puffed out her ample assets and got jiggy with it. "You know very well getting a _real_ man's attention isn't a problem of mine."

"True. No doubt you've got guys falling at your... chest," Ban admitted and pursed his lips. "But don't you wish, just once, you could date a guy who's honest, prefers your company over a ballgame, doesn't have a dozen floozies on the side, will listen to you yap all day, has limitless energy, and won't bring home a nasty disease?"

"In fact, the more you look at it, that robot could be the most perfect, most decent guy you'll ever meet," he sighed exaggeratedly. "Too bad he's a headless stiff."

Body quaking, boobs heaving, and teeth grinding to bits, Hevn tore at her hair. "AAAAGGHHHH! I'm gonna kill you!" she screamed and tried to lunge at the snarky Get Backer. Kazuki held her back.

"As for you two honeymooners..." Ban flicked his wrists limply at Kazuki and Jubei in jest. "Your 'friendship' is so dysfunctional I'm surprised neither of you has exploded in frustration yet. Still..." He held up a sermonizing index finger. "... you should hold on to that robot, Thread Spool. Samurai Boy's got his needle stuck so far up, I don't think he'll ever be able to get it out and stick it up – somewhere else."

(chorus of gasps)

Ban chuckled. "Ahhh... I'm glad I let that out of my system. Now, I feel better."

In the speechless quiet that ensued, all that could be heard were animal grunts, the rustle of an unraveling whip, the clink of glass vials and the tremble of cat-bells. Meanwhile, the stoic, unreadable, hidden face of Jubei turned towards his heckler.

"Hey, no hard feelings needle meister. It's not like you got that joke anyway, hehe." The man with the Evil Eye (and evil sense of humour) held up his hands in mock surrender.

_Whap! Whap!_ Dagger-like needles came flying into the side of the bar, hitting an area between Ban's legs just centimeters - from his crotch.

_Cripes! Maybe he got the joke after all..._

"Kazuki and I are not – _dysfunctional!_" Jubei roared.

... _or not._

"What the !" Ban leapt up onto the counter, hand covering his lap. "Dammit! Are you insane? That's twice this night I almost got castrated!"

"That would be the least of your worries, Snake Bastard," Shido rumbled as his fingers grew sharp claws and crept on him like a lion to prey. "By the time I'm done with you, you'll wish Hishiki had finished you off!"

"Not before I deal with him first," Kazuki closed in from the front and smiled diabolically. "Remember the Evil Eye you gave me? I think I know just how to make that dream come true – for you."

Ban sat on the counter, trapped between the bar enclosure and the clamoring swarm before him. His eyes bulged with slight panic above the rim of his glasses. "Come on, Kazuki, you're not seriously thinking of using that robot... on me?" He squeaked out that last utterance and gulped.

"If he's not serious, then I am," Hevn threatened with her own weapon – a cellphone. She pulled the Get Backer toward her by the collar. "One measly phone call and the police will be on your ass in minutes. Let's see you try using your big mouth to wiggle your way out of explaining why you have a hacked-up guy in your car..."

"Hevn! You wouldn't!" Ban wrenched away from the agent's wrathful grasp and fell down backwards into the enclosure with a loud _bomp!_. Crawling, he realized he had nowhere to run.

"Paul! Hide me somewhere, will ya? I promise to pay back the tab after our next job..."

"Yeah, right. And like I would help you even if I could?" The barkeep whimpered from behind the refrigerator.

_WHU-PAH!_

"Wha- hey!" he glanced down at the coils of ancient fibres wound taut against his body. Their glasses simultaneously slid down their noses and jeweled eyes regarded each other. "Emishi, old _pal_. You of all people should know I was just joking around, right?"

With one twist of his whip, Emishi tugged Ban back into the fold of pissed-off victims. "Then I, of all people, should know your joke wasn't funny." His emerald irises rascally twinkled. "Just wait and see. When I become Japan's most famous comedian even girls that look like you will say 'yes' to me, hahahaha..."

"... And by the way, I resign from your crappy 'fan club', _pal_!"

"Coming through, coming through..." Himiko pushed her way to the front.

"Himiko, sweetheart. I knew I could count on you," Ban cooed and batted mesmerizing eyes charmingly at her as he struggled against his binds.

_Sweetheart?_ "Huh? Umm, count on me to do what?" She froze and stammered, momentarily bowled-over by his use of a term of endearment.

"– not to kill me. Because unlike these idiots, you _love_ me way too much to want to see me dead, don't ya?" He flashed her his most roguish, most debonair, most peroxidized-toothed smile.

Himiko let this sink in for a second, then realized...

"EEEEE-YAAAGHH!" she exploded. "You arrogant, presumptious, sneaky sonofabitch!"

"What? What did I say?"

"Your death wish!" Lady Poison produced all of her perfumes between the fingers of her hands and popped out the corks with her teeth. "That's it! Hold him down for me, guys and hold your breath! We're gonna find out what happens when I use the seven poisons on him ALL AT ONCE!"

"Himiko!"

"You go, girl!" Hevn cheered.

"Now you're talking," Kazuki laughed as he began cocooning Ban's body onto the counter with his strings. He took off the violet glasses and stared straight into his cursed eyes. "No Evil Eye for you tonight, _sweetheart_." Kazuki coyly sang, passed his bells over Ban's face and wrapped his eyes in a blindfold.

"You guys are nuts!"

"Turn him into a monkey first so I can see if I can _'train'_ him," Shido eagerly requested, rubbing his hands in anticipation.

"Mon-key, mon-key, mon-key..." Emishi, and even Jubei, chanted.

"No! No! No! Wait! You can't do this!" Ban cried out in horror, unable to break free from the clutches of that bloodthirsty, vengeful mob. His head darted around blindly for his partner.

"Ginji! Ginji! Wake up! I need help here! Ginji!"

"GINJI! –mmmpph."

**---  
**

But the blond Get Backer didn't hear his pleas. Ginji was safely tucked away in his peaceful little bubble, having earned the deep, soul-soothing sleep he so deserved, with belly full, a dog at his feet, adventures far behind him – and a kind, pretty girl sleeping soundly by his side.

There was nothing more Ginji could want from this reward – a perfect ending to a less-than-perfect day.

As for Ban?

Well... The poor boy's less-than-perfect day was still in search of a merciful ending.

Good luck.

**_- fin -_**

**

* * *

A.N. :** And there goes my first attempt at a fanfic. I know it's been a wild ride, y'all, but I hope you enjoyed it. Please don't hesitate to tell me what you liked, hated, or just plain thought insane. With your help, my next fic can be a tad better. 

I truly appreciate the R R and props. Thanks for tuning in. You've been a wonderful audience. :D

So, I'll see you when I see you next. Till then...

Signing off. : )


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